Times Waiting
by Chair in the Stairway
Summary: It remained, for the longest time, as a part of us; the third point of a triangle. Now, it slips between our fingers, just as you do, my beloved, between mine. We are forced to fall apart, possibly doomed to never reconfigure.
1. Secluded Waters

**_Introduction_: Secluded Waters**

No one had seen it.

No one had seen that spring as it dwelt silently upon the face of this world. It took on the form of a birth mark rather than a blemish and justified its existence with the fact that love dwelt between its walls, after having been realized within. No one had witnessed this love, as intense as it was between the two beings whom held it. Both cherished it just as silently as the spring dwelt upon this Earth, though probably just a little bit quieter, as their lives had played out, leading to this moment, this very moment, and the ensuing elliptical events, which would come to be documented only by the following. No one had viewed the simple denouement of all those moments previously experienced in this spring. They shall forever remain shrouded under this blanket of water, ever flowing and free as it is, so that these two beings may cherish them as exclusively as possible, grateful for memories relived with every glance towards the moon through blades of grass that caress rather than cut. They laid beside that special someone; someone special enough to steal one's eyes from the influence of the moon as it appeals to those deepest desires through waves lapping up against one's mortal skin, just as the form of a lover would. Neither would drift away intentionally. No one had intruded upon this love, as barricaded by trees, ever presently turned the other way in overt bashfulness. These naked beings, proud of their undressed sincerity, chuckled at such shy beings in between kisses. Their love was draped in moonlight and twinkling stars that remained romantic in glow, though oblivious otherwise, and kept alive by flames, ever present within those two hearts, leading one to be quite baffled as to how such an organ refrained from being slain and remained unstrained throughout these trials placed by those two lovers, as it stood; as it was.

No one had seen it; simple as that.

Even the lonesome youth, whom had been waiting patiently, waiting desperately, waiting faithfully, and waiting ever lovingly, within that spring, to be reunited with his secret to appear and combine strengths with him, as promised with that last kiss of each expended night. He waited to cast all notions of an outside world to the wind for the trees to pluck and the skies to consume, prompting both beings to indulge in each others' company. However, the moment of his oncoming love, as fiercely heated as it was, radiating that concentrated sign of passion as it did, arrival had not been foreseen. The expected form had leaped into the air, twisting and yelping, as one might say, and rippled the waves in a fit of faked fury, then settled along with them as it ran one hand across its significant other's chest, while the other graced that definitive cheekbone, and delivered a soft kiss to his upper shoulder, tickling his skin, which displayed a sort of sensitive quality, as opposed to the manliness implied, as it crawled under those vibrating fangs. Goose bumps, no doubt, emerged all over that receptive form.

The no-longer-lonesome youth expressed surprise and glee as he separated his mandibles spontaneously, then brought them back together, prompting them to wriggle about as he rose a hand to his chest. He spread those four fingers, which were as numerous as the mandibles snuggly secured to his face, about the hand of the accompanying one that took hold of his right pectoral, returning the favor as he whispered a promise. The beloved one behind him immediately relished the words and initiated an honored gesture, which consisted of a neatly tucked stomach, extended, yet relaxed, muscles, and inwardly curved mandibles. The palm that had rested gently against the accompanied youth's features slithered down that sinuous neck, so as to call all palms to his love's chest. The beloved one saw it as deserving, as well toned as it was, giving any eyes whom fell upon the chest the pleasure of a sneak peek of the body that had been built alongside it. Prying eyes would surely drift a bit to peer at the abdomen for reasons other than admiring its organ-protecting qualities, though that body remained the beloved's alone to press up against and, on especially special occasions, join with. Such was the advantage of finding mental qualities eternally alluring to compliment the physical aspects of the accompanied youth.

His physical aspects, which received more of the beloved one's attention now, as they would surely decay with time, ranged from his dark purple skin to the many grooves and quirks that decorated it.

The most remarkable feature of the accompanied youth, who came to be called Rek'd upon the day of his birth, was that his claims of childhood had yet to be peeled away by metallic shards, infused particles invented in preparation for invasions, impositions of presence, other such intrusions, and simulated swords consisting of expertly carved curves and certain death. As Rek'd's beloved ran his palms over those familiar bumps and curves, still invoking a series of sudden outburst of stimulated breaths, much like those expelled when feeling the edge of a sword slicing through sensitive skin, and further excited his pores. Warmth poured over the longing form. Alongside the accepted frisking, the smoothness becoming of this accompanied youth surprised his beloved, whom had found his own skin to be wrapped ever tightly and infected with a wearing quality that heightened in effect with each passing day. A tinge of jealousy was to be expected of this, though one would not find it. Only a yearning to claim ownership of the body and soul of he who possessed this desirable cocoon existed and even that was speckled with child-like freckles.

A few moments were spared for the reintroductions of both forms and soft expulsions of noise, which increased in intensity after both youths had gone about the effort to face each other and embrace loosely, those two beings drifted closer. The ensuing kiss, and the kisses that followed, made the scene appear more like a reenactment of one octopus fighting amongst itself, only to settle half-way through the self-imposed conflict to find that the love for oneself is the best love of all, disregarding the love that Rek'd and his beloved coveted and expressed here in this secluded spring. Those mandibles from each being clamped their corresponding significant other, prompting those two youths to remain close and not to stir the water into waves just yet. Instead, they gazed into each other's eyes as the ends of their upper lips were curled back and their palms crept across the opposing body, resting here and there, though mostly down there.

The taller, more expressive, effeminate, and straight-forward of the two, which would happen to be none other than Rek'd, claimed a surprising authority over the moment as his eyelids laid shut and his lips dripped whispered words wishing for his weary beloved to just love him for tonight. He noted that it had always been their joined moments that brought about an extensive delight that satisfied the needs of the masculine entity that dwelt and burned within them every waking moment of their lives. "Weariness fails to trump my desire," The beloved one assured Rek'd as their bodies collided more directly than before, due to a sudden grazing against the bank of the spring, which allowed the accompanied youth to lean forward and straighten his arms, planting his palms sternly against the grass as those mandibles wriggled and stirred about each other. "My desire for you."

The beloved one cooed as his body bent against the bank. His body, which boasted an average height, a strengthened frame and an overwhelming masculinity made bearable over the years, showed signs of willingness to be led. "I don't have any problems with that, honey. Desire away."

Rek'd found himself restraining his urges, regardless of the statement that drifted from his beloveds' now occupied mouth, not wishing to bend the man so far as to break him. In time, though, he propped the significant other up onto the springs' bank, and climbed from the waters with him, dripping along with him, desiring along with him, and delving into this clear pool of love that had been shared along with him. It was at this point that the beloved one came to find Rek'd's ever flourishing strength to have grown quite considerably since the last time they had met. It had been far too long since then, thus this night was silently dedicated to both their needy forms.

The beloved one stretched his arms towards the sky, as if he were to pluck the moon for his secret delight, then slowly wrapped them around Rek'd's back, enjoying the light scraping of teeth against his neck, as illustrated by a dreamy moan that filled the air. "A-kur," The accompanied youth spoke his beloveds' name passionately, then paused, savoring, for a few moments, the aftertaste bestowed upon his tongue by such a name, before it slowly became familiar to the lips long deprived of it. "You know I am quite content with the small delights that are kisses and shared words," Rek'd adjusted himself over A-kur, leaning in closer so that their foreheads rested against each other. Twas a loving ritual the two had agreed upon, should thankfulness ever needed to be expressed. "But I will indulge further, for our sakes; for our forsaken sakes."

A-kur voiced no concerns.

The two youths joined and, after select parts of grass had been torn and every bit of skin had been stroked and delighted sounds had been thrust into the brisk air of this, they settled with newly warmed forms and rekindled feelings that only arose after such an audience was held.

Afterwards, Rek'd laid in the grass, with A-kur resting peacefully by his side, and watched the stars in the sky. He subconsciously illuminating a sense of superiority over such oblivious creatures as he identified a few with his second finger and peered towards his beloved every now and again to be sure of his attentiveness, finding, instead, those eyes to be focused on him. It was implied, by now, that the stars above were marvelous demi-gods, though it was widely unknown that these beings intertwined by this unseen love had been risen up to a level that would rival the ranks distributed amongst the stars, though both youths hardly wished to be seen and heard by those surrounding them. They only wished for such focus and praise from each other; both were rightfully granted this humble wish. Rek'd had not expected it to have come true to this extent, though he was delighted none-the-less, and, when A-kur slid closer to him, running his head and hand over the supplied pillow-of-a-chest, and released a dreamy sigh as his mandibles loosened and spread, he smiled to show such. A realization occurred, though; his skin conflicted ideally with A-kur's dark brown wrapping. Rek'd allowed the priority of bringing up such a detail to slip from his mind.

"The stars reflected in your eyes state that you are as nonstop as that sky above," The beloved one mumbled, not once glancing towards the sky as he reached his arm upwards to touch Rek'd's features, first starting with a stroke of his sturdy cheekbone, then a curved run about his jaw, and a retrace that placed all four fingers against a prominent brow, at the side of which the palm was rested. The accompanied youth being accepted the peering proposal of his company, whom had been gazing at him this whole time with a warm smile fixed into those alien features. This smile, as alien as it was, caused every appendage connected sternly upon A-kur's jaw to branch out and curve around the tips as they wriggled against his dispersed tongue. The moment was enhanced by the dazed quality each set of eyes expressed, which prompted the covers to droop down about half-way as the pupils behind them looked over their significant opposites with a commendable amount of admiration. "I know these compliments are a but clich‚-" A-kur continued after a short silence, causing a chuckle to slip from Rek'd. "-but I felt you should know your eyes detail you and just a few of the infinite discoveries I have the means to find."

The beloved one shifted onto his front, propping his body up so that it could drift over the surface of Rek'd's, and pressed their foreheads together as both cooed quietly. The accompanied youth had developed a dark blue hue that overlaid his usually dark purple cheeks, announcing to A-kur that his secret delight had been quite flattered by the spoken compliments, despite the short disclaimer between them, and readily took them both to heart. A kiss ensued, then silence, as both recognized the moment was one not needing words.

Then: "I'm afraid I may never get the chance to find them."

During the moment of silence, Rek'd and A-kur had shifted, with the former sliding against a tree, with his back to it, where he pressed the latter to come and place his body against the chest he so readily adored. A-kur complied, knowing he would not be able to inform the youth he accompanied of the aforementioned development in his life until their eyes had separated. The development would likely snag him from his given position in this universe and place him elsewhere; somewhere not far away on a cosmic scale, though far enough away to render this love impossible to express and impossible to indulge in, though not impossible to harbor. As long as A-kur remained breathing and a reunion remained possible, then it would be a burden worth carrying, though it was implied that this new development wasn't desirable to those who were not ready to risk leaving everything behind in favor of serving those above them. In this respect, A-kur was unlike all those other youths whom had found a mate whose love would prove to be strong only temporarily. The beloved one had found a bond worth cherishing the rest of his life and, should that life be snuffed out suddenly, he would like to boast that he had been able to cherish it greatly up to his very last moments.

It was implied, by the ensuing silence that had followed that statement, that wherever the beloved one was going, Rek'd would not be permitted. The segregation measures often placed within the Sangheili Forces divided troops by body type, so as to train them for the job best suiting their abilities, then dispatch them in a similar manner so their enemies could finish the job.

It was obvious, from that drawn out silence, that Rek'd had put two and two together and was rather hurt by four, though displayed his strength by not crying, shouting out in despair, or wishing for pity to be drawn from his partner for him to be buried in. Instead, the accompanied youth curved his neck forward and wrapped his mandibles around the back of his beloveds' neck, scraping that already rough skin with his fangs. His eyes closed as he reflected the dilemma, finding no way to avoid A-kur's departure other than developing a similar body type within the allotted time between now and his day of leave, which had yet to be revealed, and requesting to be reassigned to the legion in which his beloved was a member. Even if the former step had any chance of coming to pass, the latter would be lost to the fact that such a legion was likely already filled and organized after months of consideration, prompting those who filled and organized it not to accept any changes whatsoever. A sigh escaped Rek'd lips as he unwound his neck and placed his head atop A-kur's, unwittingly denying the beloved warrior before him the pleasure of feeling one more gust of breath against his back. The night's cool wind lapped up against his shoulder blades, as if to make up for, until Rek'd detected a shiver and pulled closer, banishing the chills that ran down the spine now sealed tightly.

"I'm to leave tomorrow morning, Rek'd," A-Kur stated, amidst the silence, before falling back within its grasp.

It was obvious, from the drawn out silence, that there were few words to be uttered in response to this situation, this dilemma, and A-kur had felt guilty for bringing it about after such a loving, pleasurable, and memorable encounter, though he knew it had to be done, otherwise Rek'd would come to find his beloved warrior had dissipated within his palms after some time of living day by day without their paths colliding. The market stands early morning and the fields at sunrise, an encompassed crop patch mid day and the storage shed in the late afternoon, the bathing area and the caf‚ in the early evening, and, finally, the secluded spring at midnight all acting as meeting places in which the lovers to meet. Surely, they would not be avoided by happenstance for any given number of years, especially given that the last had been saved for those special nights defined by the days prior, which are so taxing, so vexing, and so mind numbingly horrible that these two youths were required to seek comfort within expertly chiseled arms and on naturally bulky pecs, lest they wish to be rendered absolutely mad.

It was quite obvious that what needed to be said must be said, what needed to be done must be done, and what needed to be promised must be promised and, furthermore, kept, tonight. Thus, Rek'd allowed his arms to stir and crawl up A-kur's body, wrapping about him tightly as the neck accompanying the body whirled over the beloved one's shoulder and bent inward whilst rubbing against any skin its corresponding counterpart exposed. A soft chorus of coos filled the air, from both Sangheili warriors, as the beloved one allowed the nuzzling to come to pass. The accompanied youth felt one palm glide over the back of his neck, whilst the other ran over his hip, eventually securing key points so as to hold the entangled bodies together. Mandibles wriggled, as they had before, only they did not touch or tangle as their hosts did, but expressed a glint of glee already implied. Why glee?

"I've known not what our elders' intentions were when they held us back, held us so far back, as we, the youth, attempted to entangle in romantic situations," Rek'd stated as he held A-kur earnestly, promising himself that he wouldn't let go, even though his brain attempted to explain to his heart that letting go was inevitable. It was inevitable, though not necessary, the two mutually agreed. "And I've not known how to comprehend, or even how to peer at, such situations ending in tragedy until now, dear A-kur," The accompanied youth twisted his neck so that his eyes may gaze into his beloveds', so as to read being behind them. A-kur attempted the same. "I've known not of suffering's stings, until now, dear A-kur, and I fear what is to come, to become of me, to become of us, without you by my side and me by yours and only yours, in the near and distant future," A hand was detached from the beloveds' body and jammed into one of his palms, declaring this moment as one of joining, though not in the context established before, in which grass had been torn and every bit of skin had been stroked and delighted sounds had been thrust into the brisk air of this night. This joint gesture held a meaning that led A-kur to lower his eyelids and practically squeal in glee as his mandibles spread the farthest they've ever had, then closed together, squished against each other, as anticipation of the following sentence rose. "Thus, I propose to you, A-kur Iknede, a binding promise, one I bestow upon you, and will only ever bestow upon you-" Rek'd's grip on his beloved warrior tightened considerably. "I promise that, with all the fiber of my being and all the strength of my body and all the fondness in my heart, I will track you down, just as feverishly as that expected from a nemesis, and I will reunite with you, even if I must do so in our afterlife," Rek'd shed a tear at such a possibility, A-kur had thought, then realized such was only a shooting star, reflected crisply by the accompanied youth's eyes as it fell. The beloved warrior felt the grip on his hand tighten as that star fell from those eyes; those sharply green eyes. "At such a point-" Rek'd continued after a period of silent reflection. "-I will ask of you what I had wished to ask of you tonight. I shall not reveal it now, as you will require plenty motivation to remain alive and well, just as I will once my name has been called upon. Such a question, such a burning question that resides within my heart, will serve well to be the greatest spark in which to keep us both burning for each other, in case either of us ever run out of hope, of will, of sight and sense of direction, and of love for each other. I hope this justifies my withholding of this question from you, my beloved A-kur, as, otherwise, I would allow it to pour from my lips for your consideration."

"If there was anyone I would not question, it would be you, Rek'd," The beloved warrior answered in a whisper, holding the trees in suspense as they leaned back, ever slightly, so as to catch wind of the cause of these two familiar youths being separated needlessly, though they never received a response. "Being set to wait doesn't bother me in the least. I am patient and thankful for your assistance to help keep my head on my shoulders. Thus, I gladly accept your binding promise; your proposal."

"You overjoy me, my beloved A-kur," Rek'd told him, then engaged in one last kiss, savoring it for however long both warriors wished.

After the kiss, a gaze between the two was held, then the beloved warrior stood and offered a hand to the accompanied youth, gazing at him still, taking in the sight of the form deprived not of the claims to childhood. Hopefully, they would not be pried from it before the reunion.

The two, still gazing at one another, strolled to the bush that held their day time clothes, which were to be traded in tonight for another drab pair of cloths for Rek'd and a suit of fitted armor for A-kur, and slipped on their garments, doing so slowly as they snapped the last pictures of their attractive, bare, and youthful hides with their eyes. The two, still gazing at one another, strolled through the woods, holding hands as the moon above indirectly beamed down at them from between the leaves, not realizing this love brilliantly displayed by such a simple gesture. The two, still gazing at one another, reached the edges of the forest and stood hand in hand, until A-kur had pulled Rek'd into a hug, then bid him a loving farewell, leaving the no longer accompanied youth to wallow in the moment, wondering if withholding his question, his burning question, was the correct course of action. He supposed, given the effects, that it was, though the heart that beat earnestly within the Sangheili warrior told him otherwise, even after he had walked home and had gone to bed.

That heart, beating earnestly within this Sangheili warrior, kept its beholder up throughout the night, forcing him to peer out the window and gaze into those of a similar building, from which lights seared through the darkness. A very similar form sat up, presumably upon its own resting spot, and thrust both palms upon its forehead. It shook violently, as if a lump of distress that could be anything but helped had been placed within its lap. Rek'd, stricken deeply by the form, turned the other cheek and hugged his sheets close as he resisted the temptation to silently weep.


	2. The Brightest Smile

**_Part One_: Times Waiting --- _Chapter One_: The Brightest Smile**

The sun, with its grand scheme of intricate swirls made up of red and yellow and orange and black, slowly crept about the side of the horizon, bringing a certain glee, with it, to this darkened land, focusing such influential effects there, then here, then there once again. The sun, with rows of blindingly white pearls, grinned brightly for all below to behold, encouraged the anxious Sangheili sprouts to frolic and, thus, allow their muscles to erupt with collective spasms that propelled towards a gathering ground of play, while adults grudgingly slipped from their sheets and readied themselves for either a day of labor or their day of leave. The sun, with bulging black spots blurring as they eagerly sought the horizon to be filled with bobbing beings far less impressive than itself, though far more interesting, rolled its peepers over the landscape, over every minute detail that was presented, until they froze amidst a realization. One house, unlike all the others, remained dark, with sheets pulled over the windows and one unidentifiable, barely visible form wriggling about inside.

Or, perhaps, it was two intertwined forms moving in an erratic fashion.

The sun, with a sense of curiosity expansive enough to be considered its own galaxy, filled with planets, peoples, and perks of one's own design, leaned fervently towards the window, bringing about an early sting to the heat that had already enveloped this side of the planet, practically burning the sheets covering the window away just in time for a batch of red swirls to feverishly infect those scorching cheeks. The sun, with its fiery embarrassment that, if felt by a hundred mortals, would burn a hundred mortals and those hundred mortals' sons, immediately retracted and refilled its position in the sky, turning away, so as to give those within the darkened house the privacy their frustrated, desperate actions required, regardless of the half-second peeks taken every now and again.

Rek'd felt himself gasp as he forced his head into the sun baked softness of the pillow before him. He clenched the sheets of A-kur's bed, fingers reflecting the mandibles that clamped onto each other from across his features after expanding for the aforementioned gasp. His eyes clamped shut, shrouding both pupils in a darkness that the accompanied youth had wished would remain forever that previous night, though it hadn't. This was a satisfactory way to escape the temporary embrace of darkness and make one's way into the light with high spirits, or, at least, spirits higher than before, the accompanied youth reckoned. His pectorals heaved against the sheets and fidgeted back to match the scrunched abdomen following it, which curved inward. It was this position that begged his spine to brandish the flexibility it had not the pleasure of showing often, giving A-kur an impressive sight to admire as he exercised control of the situation.

It was all Rek'd could do, aside from preventing his muscles from spiraling into the ever flowing sheets below at such a crucial time, to keep his voice from warbling as he joined his beloved in a chorus of dreamy moans, which helped to establish the mood of the heated moment quite well. It was not long before such restraints were inevitably relinquished, which was marked by a beautifully executed flutter that overtook the accompanied youth as the tension in his muscles and his thoughts dissipated. A-kur settled atop him after a short while of long awaited release, breathing, sweating, and enjoying this moment as intensely as his lover. Both realized that they had shunned their hidden meeting policy in favor of contradicting appointment of the secluded spring as the only area in which the two men were to express their love, either physically or mentally.

Both right hands joined together lovingly near the side of Rek'd's skull. A-kur graced Rekd's' neck, scraping his teeth against the smooth, youthful skin that bandaged his object of affections. He displayed a surprising bit of tenderness, which juxtaposed the rough movements of the moment prior and the man whom initiated them, alongside a complimentary sense of cautiousness and care. Rek'd expelled carefully timed sounds of delight that heightened with each stroke, fueling a desire to pleasure his form that dissuaded his beloved warrior from dispatching attentiveness elsewhere until constant, conscious reminders of today's importance rang too loudly for either man to ignore.

The bed announced A-kur's reluctant leave through noisy creaks, prompting Rek'd to come to a full rest atop the twisted sheets. He propped his delectable body onto its side, intending to cool it by pressing all pores against the cool waves below, and slide a palm sternly against the upturned hip, once more introducing an admirable sight for the soon to be deprived eyes of his lover. The mind would certainly prove to be a wondrous thing as it stored this mental image for future internal viewing.

Armor was grudgingly fished from its respective drawers in preparation for a day that both lovers thought should have never come, though it had. It was all Rek'd could do, aside from keeping himself from suggesting a plan to run away together, no doubt, forever, to help his beloved into his body suit, then strap, atop that, the pieces of protective armor. To lighten the situation, the accompanied youth offered plenty of flattering comments, first pointing out how the body suit brought out the best sections of the body in question as they were covered up. This body bore absolutely no blemishes, he claimed, then moved on to how empowering this piece of armor was, especially when exhibited next to flexed muscles, before he mentioned how manly the color scheme, in conjunction to A-kur's own, was. In no time, a grumbled growl rang out, pleading for the chatter to stop mid-seminar that detailed how such a suit of armor brought out the pride of the Iknede namesake in its bearer. Rek'd compliantly hushed himself up and slipped a contrasting set of cloths and tightly tied bows up his persistently trickling skin, enveloping his frame in rich colors weaved in bright hues that hardly implied the right mood.

The moment seemed to fall into an awkward silence as both lovers peered at each other, examining every aspect of the labored linens and metals and the skin beneath them. They breathed ever so silently, so as not to disrupt the moment, before A-kur crossed the room and ran his arm over the course of the exposed back of his significant opposite, causing those sharp, green eyes to flick as he placed a palm weakly against the farthest hip from his own, soaking it with the moist interpretation of a belly full of butterflies, and suggested, "We can walk to my destination the way we stand-" He seemed to hesitate for just a moment. "-if you want to."

Rek'd had wondered of the day in which he could walk proudly by A-kur's side, swinging his limbs and bodily sections from side to side in a confident manner whilst his mannerisms bid those passing personages a greeting, a toned-down squeal, and a wink. Such a day, in which the accompanied youth could confidently stroll by his beloveds' side and display their relation through intertwined palms as proudly as a warrior whom regularly treated guests to his war trophies, had long been anticipated by both youths since their discovery of a mutual attraction to each other. After years of sneaking and lying merely to be one, it seemed as if a day was never to arrive alongside the sun's bright smile, as was the case for those countless other men and women enjoying a marriage not widely comprehended. Such a day, in which the two young men could find the courage laying eternally within their shells, waiting to be cracked by a sudden form of concentrated apathy to-be-utilized towards those whom allowed signs of disgust to sneak into their features, had both excited and terrified Rek'd and his dear A-kur, of the Iknede namesake, to the point where they had sought comfort within their secluded spring, waiting for such a day to make its way to them. A-kur had figured his beloved would be the first to find waiting unsatisfactory, despite the circumstances given, and forced himself to request a walk as lovers through a public setting for his own sake. Rek'd found a bit of underlying weakness hidden not too well by a layer of light brown that prompted him to inwardly flog himself for not being the first of the two to suggest this bold gesture, unlike those long years ago when they had joined by his whim. The need to support surfaced.

"I wish it so," A-kur was assured as his arm was confidently drawn out from behind Rek'd's back and directed to his hip, where a corresponding arm would wrap around it once, starting the motion at the elbow, where the limbs crossed, and ending at the tips of the fingers laced firmly. The warriors pressed their foreheads together and filled the room with coos, then slowly separated. "To be flattered by such a request, A-kur..." The accompanied youth lightly squealed, morphing that welcoming gesture into a sort of unprecedented glee with a stretch of the mandibles. A nervous grin worked its way into the handsome features of his significant opposite. "...I would not dare pass up such a chance, lest I wish to render myself a fool infected with cowardice."

"I'm honored you would accept," A-kur responded as he forced every fiber of his being to lead himself and his love to the exit of the room, then the overall establishment entitled to the Iknede line.

As they stepped through, a streak of the light struck down from above. Overly bright beams mixed deviously with those duller, though only Rek'd noticed. He shunned these lights as his eyes met a gaze originated from his partner. This gaze told of hope, anxiety, and fear, prompting the accompanied youth to offer an uplifting parting of the mandibles and a bob of the head in response. A-kur, only partially swayed, stepped closer, masking his attempt to cover their united palms with his hip and cloths as a means to gain further support.

The accompanied youth allowed his first step to sound off, with the tip of his proposing hoof mundanely thudding, as he rolled his eyes about, finding a variety of reactions already being dispatched towards the display that he and his lover exhibited. A bright smile of acknowledgement offered by the womanly figure of a carefree couple, followed by a neutral glance from her lover, surfaced after the premature claim that today would not be richly spiced by a pair of attractive males whom indulged in each other was disproved. Grunts and laughs, both stifled and not, filled the air soon afterwards, originating from a group of roughened war veterans, all scarred in their own unique ways, as they passed the couple of interest, soon forgetting them in a mass of conversations about the best way to kill such and such with so and so. As this group faded, a small gathering of youths lingered on by and, individually, either gawked in interest or dissuaded those who gawked with promises of social degeneration delivered in the form of malicious whispers. Rek'd and A-kur were not so naive as to take these whispers as anything but.

The accompanied youth initiated a drawn out sigh, a sign of relief, when that generation had passed. His beloved warrior acknowledged it as such only through his tightened grip as he stepped forward, this time leading, with a forced huff of air. Rek'd imagined this to be a proposal. He drew his own hoof forward, as the lead dictated, and casually forced it against the ground, creating another thud in which to enrich the two's Earthly beat. As the thud rang out, crystal clear in sound, unlike those that were drowned out by the soft padding below, the accompanied youth could not shake the feeling of being seized by an influential light and flung into a distant memory, landing curiously in front of his home, within the yard, as the wind lapping up against his back, then died down.

The moment that had seemed to occur just a few moments before slipped into the future by a measurement of years, effectively fading from Rek'd's mind as those limbs, now shorter and noticeably stubbier, subconsciously strained, then unwound and launched him recklessly towards a more youthful depiction of A-kur. A-kur, with both arms agape, efficiently bent his elbows, forcing his elbow onward to straighten towards the sky with open palms, while the body below settled onto one knee and released an exhausted huff. He caught the scrawny youth mid-air and tossed him aside in response. Two almost simultaneous thuds marked Rek'd's landing and were proceeding by an outpour of clanks that detailed the closing of the gap between the boys, both of which resolved to win the sparring match. It was all the scrawny could do, after he had flung himself into the air, to not cry out as he realized perfectly symmetrical violence was not possible when attempted between two beings of different caliber.

His body was seized and smacked against the dirt, then held down by the more capable, the stronger, warrior of the two, who ran all eight fingers against Rek'd's sides, causing the helpless boy to burst into a fit of giggles that expressed a sort of obliviousness to the fact that he had lost grandly. Seeing as the pinned youth was in such a fit of giggles that even he, feverishly persistent as he was, could not find the will to struggle, A-kur resolved to release his limbs soon enough, breaking the chain of spars that were dragged out by the prolonged restraint of the giggling youth. Such spars quickly devolved into casual conversations with bouts of struggling erupting in between every few sentences, then every few paragraphs, then every few topics, and so on, hence their lack of any real appeal.

As soon as Rek'd managed to cough out a request to be let up, A-kur complied, though he didn't know why. Being of childish nature, he soon allowed the situation to cast itself to the wind as his soft, green eyes rolled towards the sky that had greeted both boys earlier that day, then shifted them to the scrawny youth as second thoughts were not applied to anything beforehand.

The stares where not immediately noticed by anyone, save the vigilant man, who leaned against the frame of the sizeable establishment that belonged to his bloodline, including his son. Rek'aug, the lonesome father of Rek'd, permitted his mandibles to wriggle about and his brow to furrow in disapproval. Of course, he had become quite aware of his unseen gestures of disapproval, but let them flow, as if they were second nature, due to such a son sharing his family name; a family name that had remained untainted by those physically inferior to others; one that had maintained a superiority streak not quite broken, but getting there. Given the genes of his deceased mate, one would figure Rek'aug to blame her for being too influential, or even himself for proving insufficiently influential enough, for the "deficiency" that plagued his son's form, but he did not. Thus, little Rek'd lived every waking moment of his life with the bloodline burden placed firmly on his shoulders, oblivious of the weight that so cruelly brought him down physically and mentally. However, A-kur seemed to aid in the resistance of the formation of deepened scars typically wrought by this burden by merely being out, about and around the scrawny youth every waking minute that could be managed.

Rek'aug found his mood to be a split between bitterness and relief, because of this fact.

Those hardened eyes watched over the two boys, seemingly separating about the father's nasal passages so each pupil could pry at the safety of each boy. At any given moment, a bird of war could swoop down, from the lofty clouds absentmindedly plowing down winds above, and snatch up the youths with open talons, made so intentionally to be snapped shut around their squirming forms and, possibly, squish their innards as a bonus, so bulging veins and let blood could be tasted upon the first entry. Rek'aug frowned; he didn't like such an image to be placed within his mind, thus, he refocused his eyes, finding a familiar sight in which to indulge; a female Sangheili.

She was as beautiful as one could imagine, even shared the same body as Rek'aug's late mate, and lived just down the path. She hung clothes in fine lines, across strung lines, whilst her fine lines bumped to one side, then doubled back, drawing the watchful father's gaze in as the desired form before him bent over slowly, reaching down, seemingly to the ground, to pluck flowers from the dirt. It seemed as if she would place the flowers amongst the tightly fitted clothes that wrapped their host like a delicious meal. Instead, the tantalizing female brought up another batch of clothes, gracefully folded over her arm as she gracefully glided back to the lines and, gracefully, folded them over, in halves, said lines, then went to retrieve another batch. She flashed a smile in Rek'aug's direction. He couldn't help but feel drawn in as he motioned to straighten his cloths, tested gestures of subtle interest, then proceeded to pursue the woman of his apparent fancies, noticing, on the tip of his brain, that one set of the clothes had been smaller fittings.

The father glanced to A-kur, remembering past encounters with this graceful embodiment of femininity with the more capable youth by her side. He grinned, though soon felt the joyful expression drop from his features as the sight of Rek'd waving to him had been registered. Rek'aug waved back, rather dishearteningly, and left his son, who proceeded to entertain A-kur. Rek'aug favored entertaining, and possibly courting, a fine specimen of a female rather than a long time friend.

Rek'd lowered his arm and whipped his adorable features towards A-kur, whom spread his mandibles wide, regardless of how short in length and jaggedly pointed at the edges they were, to express glee. The lesser of the two youths mimicked the gesture before he leaned in, pressing his shoulder against his superior's as leaf refugees were plucked from the informal cloths of each boy and flicked towards the sky. Occasionally, one would happen towards the superior youth, who, as you could imagine, conjured an intense, though hardly malicious, glare. A stifled apology arose from the youth at fault, only to be followed by a delighted giggle. Frivolous disregard for the harmful effects behind childish play was instilled deep within the sounds that formed a chorus a few lingering females nearby heard. They acknowledged the boys through bright smiles that rivaled the sun's. Such smiles led the boys into a greeting that practically commanded them to beam in return; beam even brighter than those adult females whom had surely been deprived of their sunny innocence by now.

"Those women," Rek'd started, gesturing towards the females, who gently thanked him for his reference of them with laughter arising not in mock of his figure, but, rather, an admiration for how beloved he was. These females surely wished such a child had been delivered unto them by their husbands. "They have such beautiful smiles; it makes me jealous, you know? That their children may feel what it's like to be under such beautiful smiles every minute of every day," The lesser of the two youths bent his stubby neck significantly, permitting those sharp eyes of his to gaze into A-kur's softened orbs, as if seeking a comment of reinforcement, or just a positive mumble detailing agreement. "It must be wonderful."

"It surely is," His companion assured him, though the more capable warrior wondered if such beautiful smiles remained a joy every waking minute of every day. A-kur had never experienced such rays in repetitive bursts, like these females' offspring apparently had. It had never been pointed out that the female standing over yonder, whom had draped the boy's, and her own, clothing over supposed "fine lines", had not bothered to smile much. She only showed an understated sense of glee through gestures merely involving her palms or, in the case of a handsome, well-bred male being slyly drawn in, her hips. A-kur came to wonder, 'Why?', as his attention was stolen from the conversation between the two adults over yonder by the much more attractively childish youth sitting beside him. "Perhaps, if your father chooses to rejoin with another female, you'll experience such beautiful smiles every minute of every day to the point where you'll be absolutely sick of it."

A chuckle slowly intoxicated the air with a sort of aroma oddly pleasurable to battered senses.

"Impossible!" Rek'd claimed, spreading his mandibles in a sort of half-gasp, half-gesture-of-offense, which usually came about after one's dear mother and her rightfully good name had been insulted or tarnished. A-kur bent his brow upwards, dulled his cheekbones, and drew back his mandibles in apology. "How could anyone tire of their mothers affection!?" The youth waved his hand about the air in spite as he huffed, giving A-kur the incentive to blink, not once, but twice, in a bewildered fashion. "Why, I'd have half a mind to rip the mands from their jaw!"

"Now, now," The more able of the two youths scooted closer to his longtime friend, pressing their hips together as he worked a hand around the slender form, oblivious of the meaning usually associated with such a gesture. A few of the females not far away covered their mouths with collected palms in surprise. Others whispered nonsense about the boys, nonsense which, as nonsense rightfully should be, was ignored, as if it was just nonsense, rather than the truth. Others, still, claimed such a gesture was often misunderstood by youths, whom found it comforting to draw close to their playmates while away from their mother's enticing touch or their father's warm influence. Such a widely accepted explanation prompted those whisperers to hang their necks in shame. "I don't need my favorite playmate to get mangled," A-kur stated, at first garnering a smile from his long time friend before causing an understanding frown. "How will I get rid of my boredom without you?"

Such a fitting question from one who derives pleasure from mangling his long time friend! Rek'd, luckily, hadn't noticed the depreciating detail as depreciating as those already come to pass.

A quick glance allowed Rek'd the pleasure of witnessing his father approaching his destination. Both adults gawked at each other for a few moments, then mutually decided to indulge in each other's presence behind a closed door. This begged for the answers to plenty arisen questions within that young mind, most of which would remain unanswered for quite some time. Many questions were quite unintentionally specific to the point in which an interrogated adult would blush heavily or laugh with a commendable blast of power that would all but blow any head-tilting youths away. The boy's head would be padded by a large palm as he was commanded to allow his mind the time to develop before diving headfirst into such topics. Of course, such a response would have the same effect as starving Rek'd's curiosity, which was grossly over bloated for a boy so young, and lead some to believe him to be the Sangheili incarnation of the question, 'Why?' As soon as such questions began to suffocate those lobes, they were filtered out by replacements, which surged into their young host as he was seized the by the wrist and dragged into the nearby woods.

A short pause came to pass. A-kur made sure the two supervisors of their play-date remained occupied within the subtlety that shrouded them, then the boys were off again, speeding through the forest fueled by the will power of one. Rek'd remained remarkably clueless, though his eyes still bulged in their sockets. Where could A-kur be leading him? The answer emerged as the two youths stepped into a clearing, individually characterized from the others by a small, secluded spring that inhabited the middle, and took a good look around, gawking like the young creatures they were.

The sun, with its tendency to drift about a world, throwing those black spots towards anything that moved in a manner that invoked the slightest interest, peered over the heads of the trees as it cursed its setting self. It wished to continue studying these two Sangheili youths, whom displayed their own characteristics and idiosyncrasies as carelessly as boys their age were expected to, though it was up to the moon to complete this task. The sun, with its resolve to return tomorrow to see what had become of these two youths after the encounter with the secret spring today, laid to rest behind the trees, avoiding Rek'd's gaze as he attempted to return its own. After realizing such was quite impossible once a dark purplish hue set against the skies and stars and enriched his skin, he rolled his pupils to the water. He gasped softly at the feeling his palm become supinated as his wrist pressured.

The utmost attention was given to his superior, whom peered into those sharp green eyes and applied a light pressure to the host's wrist. This attention could not be stolen away for any reason, as any Sangheili youth recognized that a topic which merited the possibility of a clotted vein was quite important. "Rek'd," A-kur barked, placing his second set of fingers atop the lesser youth's wrist, making sure he wouldn't come to speak before the question of the moment had been asked of him. "This spring here, I found just a few months back and kept it to myself until now. I trust you with its secret, just as I trust myself, 'cause I want to share this spring, here, with you, and only you. You understand?"

Rek'd nodded. A-kur released his wrist. Their first promise, a promise binding them to share this secretive mass of water, had been made.

The lesser of two youths walked about the clearing, surveying its ground before coming to the conclusion that doing such was not how A-kur intended them to spend their time together and, instead, glanced to the waters once again, finding himself not immediately, though soon enough, captivated by its waves. The crystal clear linings lapped up against the edges of the body of water, highlighting its curves and making it quite alluring as the water further raced from edge to edge, seemingly trampling itself to complete a marathon with absolutely no end in sight. They boy's head tilted as his eyes rolled in their sockets, following this wave that way before following that wave this way and being averted by a very attentive A-kur, whose eyes resting upon his new accomplice. It was no surprise that Rek'd immediately, and silently, questioned why his long time friend's eyes rested upon him rather than the water so conveniently swishing about next to and below his hooves, but found no reason to protest the gaze. He, instead, enjoyed the warmth it brought to his skin on this rather chilly evening. It was assumed that such a gaze was initiated to find certain facial configurations that suggested joy, thus, the lesser of two youths allowed a smile to creep into his features, which took advantage of his cute facial configuration and transformed it into something that equally satisfied A-kur and tickled Rek'd's own bones.

"How did you manage to find this place?" Rek'd squeaked as he lifted his newly soaked hoof from the spring's waves and fought back violent shivers that were sent up by his spine by cooled wind circulations. The inferior youth fended off the chilling swirls through palms with careful placements, which A-kur took note of and conspired to replace at a later date. He wasn't sure why this wish comprised of temptations formed by the properties of flesh had come about. Regardless, it remained as a plausible answer to Rek'd's answer was constructed. It overshadowed the temptations of the more able child's mind, though those were merely stored for later reference, to be reignited should his long time friend continue to display signs of discomfort.

"I raced through the forest after being dismissed by mother," A-kur answered as he stepped just a bit closer to his future object of affections, feeling the frigid teeth of the wolfish wind sinking into his skin. He was reduced to tucking his mandibles inside his mouth to keep from shivering. Naturally, the cloths that only covered the boys' lower bodies hardly assisted them in their given situation, actually hampering them, as a matter of fact, with the loosened cloths hanging from their waist attempting to flee with the cruel gusts of wind. Though, that's merely one context in which to analyze the cloths' actions; perhaps they were assertive in their assistance to bring the youths closer together. It was quite hard to consider alongside conversing and keeping one's posture in line. "She had finished her chores early, just as I had finished mine, and thought the day best be spent watching the men work in the fields; `twas to pick out a proper man', she told me, considering my father was improper, as she's told me," The able warrior allowed the moment to replay the moment in his head as he reminisced sitting in the grass, next to his mother, overlooking the fields with her until he had glanced back, intending to draw out his gaze to match that which she set out. Rek'aug had happened to be her main focus, at the time, while Rek'd proved familiar and alluring enough to catch A-kur's attention before the plan to wander about the then attentive trees had been set into the formulating stage. "I had tired of her search and requested permission to run about, `like a young man should'. Then...I came upon this spring and declared it my dome of privacy," The superior youth grinned inwardly as glanced to his shivering comrade and asked, through nearly gritted mandibles, "Frigid night, yeah?"

Rek'd had only nodded before A-kur removed an extra cloth and draped it about his shoulders, then sat the youth down, purposely positioning him atop the spring's shore, and joined him. The water rumbled with excitement as the cloth was stretched across the boys' shoulder spans. It was hardly long enough to bury them the way they sat currently; about two inches apart at the nearest shoulder and with both bodies curved their own unique way. `Perfect,' He thought as he drifted closer to his comrade, finding the reception of his warmth to be far more open than expected, especially when those stronger-than-thou arms drifted under the cloth like a snake and constricted the slender form, who accepted all grazes, voicing no qualms whatsoever.

A-kur could have sworn he heard a whispered bit of gratitude. Regardless of whether or not such a whisper was real, the more able of the two youths felt his features stretch back as he secured the first step to claiming his object of affections.

The stars above twinkled obliviously, casting an enhanced light down upon both youths in a moment, made so crystal clear by such effects, that it would stay with them for a long time, if not the rest of their lives. "Anyone could suspect you planned this," Rek'd suddenly commented as he raised his head with a slight shiver, which had come about due to the expressive mass leaving the warmth that radiated from his protector's chest. He settled back against it, snuggling like a young man whom sought comfort in the arms of his willing father; a father whom had sensed a bit of distress and wished it to be cast away from the a young heart it distressed. "I never figured you to be clever, A-kur."

A toned down mumble was released- "Though, I guess you making up for another `deficiency' of mine is alright." -attracting the glance of he whom was presumed clever. A moment's silence passed, with the cradling continuing, until the following sentence forced A-kur to straighten his comrade, looking at him, surveying him, with those soft, green eyes.

"Don't ever tell yourself you're deficient," The superior youth commanded, asserting his command further after he acknowledged his comrade's features lift, as if in shock, then shut tightly as he glanced towards the waters. He seemed ashamed by what he had just been told; seemed ashamed by another piece of what he perceived to be ironic empowerment spilling from the mandibles of this superior being, however unintentional in nature it was. Rek'd was on the verge of slipping from under the cloth and running back home before A-kur had seized him and held him close, with both sets of green eyes locked on each other.

"Rek'd," The protective youth surveyed those eyes again. Within them, he saw a tinge of hurt; a denouement of things past said by the superior youth, things past implied by the superior youth, things past won by the superior youth, things past stolen by the superior youth, things past achieved by the superior youth, and things past garnered by the superior youth, among other things that had come at the expense of the boy he now sought to protect. As soon as A-kur realized his contradiction, he wore an expression of apology, though it took from Rek'd's agony and applied it to missed opportunities that were sure to fill his future with tormenting thoughts, should he not come through for his object of affection. His mandibles wriggled nervously until he embraced the supposedly deficient youth before him and whispered, "I'm..." A mirrored look of shame and hesitancy was his to wear. "I'm sorry."

That apology and its accompanied expression seemed enough to warrant a desperate embrace, impassioned by feelings neither youth understood. Rek'd genuinely believed every word, every syllable, every letter, every sound, that drifted from his protector's mouth, though, the sensitivity of this being, whom so readily succumbed to his feelings, would warrant A-kur to be very careful with Rek'd, lest he break this fragile object of affections.

A silence shrouded both boys. They pulled apart just slightly to gaze at each other and question whether or not this relationship they had just ignited, just now, next to this secluded spring, would be accepted by the never-beaming mother and the ever watchful father. They decided, just as silently, to allow this relationship to remain shrouded in the shade of the trees, and the lighting of the moon, and the waters of this secluded spring, as it developed.

Eventually, the youths would realize their need to be accepted by their friends, their acquaintances, their co-workers, their elders, and the never beaming mother and the ever watchful father. Until they deemed it appropriate to emerge from the bushes aflame, the youths would settle to appear as unequal brothers, birthed boldly into their species to remain as comrades, in the daylight, and then brothers boldly birthed as equals, as significant opposites, by these brisk waves, when alone in their tight lipped secret. They would come to experience all sorts of delights, most of which laid far into the future, too far for such eager souls to stand, waiting for the two youths to seize and utilize them as nourishment of this relationship.

A strong voice cut through the night air, causing the two youths to break apart as their names were called by the ever watchful father. Rek'd glanced to A-kur, expecting his mentality to form a plan that would give them just a bit more time, if even that much, before their newly discovered relationship became more widely known than they had hoped. A few moments of silence passed, then another call, this time verging on the border of a roar, ripped through the wind, causing blades of grass clamping on to the dirt to stir below, obviously distressed, until such a voice faded into an echoing clip of incomprehensible dialogue.

"You run through the forest first," Rek'd finally spoke, handing A-kur his cloth as both youths stood up. "Tell my father that, upon hearing his voice, you had challenged me to a race and pulled ahead around the beginning," The underestimated youth was obviously glossing over the fact that his slender form rendered him the faster of the two, though, that father of his, so depreciative of just about every display laid out before him, would not find it difficult to process another loss for his family line after so many losses had been brought against it. What the two, the ever watchful father and the currently more able warrior of the of two youths, hadn't considered was that A-kur had merely been born with a head start. "I will appear shortly afterwards."

The protective youth nodded and set off on his journey through the trees. A-kur found that, aside from covering for his object of affections, other duties popped into his head; some quite appropriate, others not so, though only pondered due to the being's young age. After A-kur had disappeared, Rek'd dawdled for a few moments, filling them mostly with regrets that he had not requested the extra cloth be left behind, regardless of what suspicions it might raise. The youth stood atop his hooves and set off through the trees after A-kur, running down the path his long time friend had dragged him down before, though, instead of finding his father near the end, he found his superior, whom had reached out and seized him, with the aid of piercing rays, and brought him back to that rued day of separation many cycles later. Such was not ill intended, as the beloved warrior bestowed upon his lover, his publicly claimed delight, a kiss, alongside a hug and one of the brightest smiles Rek'd ever had cast upon his mortal flesh. It promised an end to this separation, though it expressed a sense of uncertainty as to when this end would come about. The gesture, in general, was quite enough, as A-kur Iknede, the beloved warrior and Rek'd's newly proclaimed mate, was sent on his way to fulfill the duty of a Sangheili warrior, just so he could come back one day to celebrate, without persecution, without limitations, with his lover. Both youths looked forward to this day as A-kur loaded himself up, among a few others, into a small craft, amidst a field of many, to be whisked away. It happened in less than an instant.

As the no-longer-accompanied youth stood in the middle of the crowd, serving as its source of attention, desired or not, he found himself to resist trembling as his sharp, green eyes watched the ship disappear. He redirected them towards the path below, following the prints previously made by steps already taken, remembering the fondness for the moments passed. Which ones, you ask? Such a question requires just a few, simple things, to compose an answer; a small batch of times in which to sit, reflect, and wait, before one is whisked off to the next set of times away, far away from those of comfort and familiarity, then to a conclusion that promises to bring all these times, broadening the timeline as they often do, together. Rek'd, a Sangheili warrior of the Sek'r lineage, had just embarked upon such journey; he aspires to reunite what's right and distinguish such from what is wrong, so as to bring these times together like a puzzle. You, dear reader, are the central piece.


	3. The Day of Harvest

_Part One:_ **Times Waiting** --- _Chapter Two: _**A Day of Harvest**

A creature had stirred within Rek'd's house. It scurried through the hallway at top speed before stopping to peer around a corner. The lonesome youth, unaware that he was being watched, drifted down the stairs and departed late into the night.

Given the overall dimensions, radiation of freckle-speckled yearnings enveloped with kind aspirations, and general lack of understanding of this creature, one would have figured it to be scurrying throughout the night after receiving a nightmare, conjured by that always preoccupied brain matter that glutinously consumed knowledge. It fixated upon the scariest theories of the most unknown of subjects and mutated them from their rightful proportions. However, it seemed those horrid dreams came about because of the entity of blackened blurs trudging through the night. The creature pressed itself to the window and tilted its head, forgetting its fears in favor of pondering thoughts about the one who could divert them.

Those lobes, ever wondering of the events so heinously fed to it, fired into full gear, coming up with a million plausible assumptions whilst making a million times a million more that could only even be considered plausible by a fully educated not quite there. This creature rounded the corner as the front door was softly shut, so as to not wake the only being left within this established structure, then descended down the staircase, peering, with obvious curiosity, at the surrounding shadows, almost reaching a hand up to touch them. When he could not touch them, the creature offered a wave and a charming smile that had tinges of feminine tendencies creep into the underdeveloped features.

The shadows gathered around this creature as it touched the base of the stairs, caressing his mind with muses only interesting enough to be pondered for a full five seconds. The darkened dots, ranging from dark blue, true to the ocean as can be, to the most matter-devouring black one would ever lay their eyes upon, littered the room in swarms and shifted and sparkled, then burst to life like a clashing wave, claiming to be real whilst flaunting that false factuality as if the world's edges themselves were shrouded in its influence. They died down and drifted out of view to be replaced with an ensuing herd of buildings, ranging, in size, from laughably microscopic to hiccup-inducingly enormous. Our supplier of imagination was set upon a structure that could be described as the latter.

The breath had literally been drawn from the creature's lungs by the time he found himself free-falling through fluffy clouds. He soon found himself colliding with an equally fluffy couch below. It greeted the small form with resilience and forgiveness dispensed alongside the expulsion of air that had managed to seep into the cushions. Two small, wild, guilt-of-a-culprit eyes frantically shot across the room, eventually leading the host body to flip onto its back. A wave of equally wild eyed legions sailed overhead before being brought down by an unseen force, which flung them into flaming rings spiraling down from the heavens. These flames morphed into wires that wrapped tightly around those small limbs of the creature that had landed across the cushions, seizing it and bringing it into the air, only to place the shaken mass onto its bottom. The wires began to mutilate their solidified qualities into dark purple collections of skin, with muscles, veins, and joints slapped onto bones beneath. Light shined through the window, taking each shadow by surprise as they were suddenly scorched, injured to the point in which return would only be possible when the source of such searing rays had set for the day.

"Have you dwelt down here, awaiting my reappearance, the whole night, my love?" Rek'd, the supposed smudge of dark purple settled down next to the creature, patting it upon on the head as he wore a look of curiosity and worry; these emotions were expressed with a sort of parental flare that made the youth seem far beyond his years. Such a look garnered a dismissive arrangement of softened features in return. "Vleo," The elderly youth uttered the creature's name, gaining its full attention as he pulled it onto his lap for further inspections. Vleo came to rest upon the older, stronger body. "Young men should not be sleeping atop such influential cushions; they can mend your figure in ways that will render you ineffective in catching eyes and, when one is as cute as yourself, such denouements would be rather unfortunate," Rek'd placed his hands along Vleo's sides, straightening his back as the younger youth attempted to slouch forward repeatedly, giggling lightly as he did so. His elder gave up soon enough, though punished the boy with a bout of tickles that furthered the lighthearted laughter. They both settled back against their respective cushions, with the youthful Sangheili leaning into his elder, searching within him for the comforting mass of love and compassion that had remained ever-present after the darkest of nights and the brightest of days; even after such searches had been dismissed as ridiculous yearnings by a good number of the general population. Once the two seemed comfortable, Rek'd continued, "I apologize for not being present this past night, dear brother. I had pressing matters to attend to," A displeasured grunt was dispersed. "I saw off of a handsome warrior today."

"Your beloved warrior?" Vleo asked of the supposedly handsome warrior's identification, garnering a surprised parting of the mandibles, an immediate yes, as a result. The boy found that this was satisfactory, though he had given away the fact that a conversation, initiated amidst the fields, had been devoured by his youthful ears. He had pried such a name from the conversation in a way that suggested interest was presently invested in the nicknames assigned because of the men's' love, but not the love itself; Rek'd knew his brother to be a creature of shaken priorities. A softened smile crossed the elder's features, letting the youth know that, while his blatant curiosity within his relationship was surely not appreciated, the point at which it stopped was. This, of course, led the youth to wonder what details exactly would not be favorable to dig up. "I'll miss A-kur; not as much as you, but enough to wait for him every day."

"And why is this, my love?"

"The way he smiles at us, brother! You know about it more than I do!" Vleo spouted with a bit of shock, absolutely bewildered by his brother's question. A chuckle erupted into the air, then a bright alteration of the beloved warrior's smile burst across Rek'd's mandibles and rained down upon his dear brother, showering the boy with enough motherly influence to make him squeal lightly with childish delight before he embraced the source. The elderly youth, deprived of his main source of love, returned the embrace with sincerity. A-kur was recalled.

It was quite possible this boy needed a quantity of sunshine that his dear older brother was not quite skilled enough to present. The frightfully bright rays of the sun were declared the most logical replacement. "Brother-" Vleo mumbled as he noticed his dear older brother rolling his eyes over the view the nearest window provided. The sun turned away with newly developed, and boiling, red swirls draped over its massive cheek bones. "-Shall I fetch my cloths?"

"Indeed, you shall," Rek'd lifted his younger brother from the cushions and pressed their foreheads together, then set him down onto the floor. It was quite a spectacle to watch that young man launch himself into the air and proceed to glide through the house, blurring the outlines that suggested an oddly alluring bit of femininity within the boy. Delighted laughs filled the air as they departed from loosened lungs. A tinge of anxiety in each one suggested that the young boy was tailed by a ghost whom had promised stern tickles and loving kisses would be dispatched, should the young batch of energy ever be caught. He began breathing harder than one would think necessary as he ascended the stairway.

Vleo, fueled by the smile that his brother had bestowed upon him, zipped into his room and wrestled the appropriate informal cloths onto his body as he jumped here and almost stumbled there, then fumbled himself at the end of the stairs, falling almost certainly towards the unforgiving harshness of the floor. He was snatched up mid-air by the protective limbs of the elderly youth. The boy wheezed his way to a normal heart beat; his heart was not only stirred by the incident and the run preceding it, but also by preexisting complications that plagued him.

Rek'd pulled on Vleo's informal clothing properly, then set down his younger brother. He waited, with arms crossed over his chest and a worried expression gradually bled into his features, for the boy to recollect himself.

"Breath slow," An arm rounded Vleo as Rek'd pressed his head against the young boy's chest, listening ever-intently to make sure that little heart was able to keep up. It rushed as feverishly as its host had just a few minutes ago. The elderly youth retracted his head and gazed down at his brother. "If I am to take you out today, my love, you must promise not to revert into such a manic mood. You know the risks, you've heard the lectures, and, thus, I know you fully understand why these actions must not be repeated."

"Of course, brother; I promise," The young Sangheili returned, running his mandibles against his brother's cheek lightly (a kissing gesture which had been enacted in numerous incidents of late) before bowing his head in apology.

As soon as Vleo raised his head and revealed his strikingly blue eyes, the elderly youth dipped his own head, gently seized the boy's palm and stood, suggesting they were to stand in unison. To further this concept, they strolled in unison, pushed aside the door in unison, greeted the rays and trees and external beings and sky in unison, and peered over the vast fields that were laid out before them, courtesy of the stronger generations of their lineage, in unison. They stood together with fingers laced as tightly as could be. The absence of he whom had settled both bodies when they shivered in fright, warming them with just a simple parting of the mandibles, was quite devastating.

The youthful brother took one step forward, displaying his anxiousness to discover the lands that had been offered up to him by this fertile planet, prompting the elderly brother to relinquish his situational dominance. As Rek'd did so, he found himself seized, and then engulfed, by the blinding rays that frolicked about before him, only to be dropped into the grasp of the sapling A-kur, whom seemed to have taken the place of the sickly youth that stood in his current spot. The accompanied youth took a moment to look around. He then focused his eyes upon himself, finding his dark purple skin to be of a softer hue and his muscles to still be of the undefined quality that they were early into his years of self-discovery.

All attentiveness towards these details were lost as soon as the sweet voice of the soon-to-be beloved warrior, prompting him to cast all notions of, and comparisons to, the future to the wind in favor of being graced by the strength of the sounds drifting from A-kur's throat. Even then it was developing very ideally, alongside the body it was munificently fixated upon, for a young man the boys' age.

"Come!" Was the simple order, stern and anxious in tone as it was, that caressed to Rek'd's audio-receptive hairs waving softly in the wind, before being whipped about as their host was dragged down a path. They cut through the fields like the many scythes the workers wielded. The many crops towering over the two boys either mocked their less-than-sizable form or expressed curiosity in it, as most grown members of the Sangheili species often did, watching them as they zipped by. The crops proved to be as oblivious as the trees that turned themselves away from the youths. The crops were left scrambling for the little details, most of which were about as little as the forms reeking of infatuating qualities and most of which rendered making sense of the situation improbable before the yearly harvest. Perhaps, months later, when both Rek'd and A-kur would gather at the base of their spring and pull a limited assortment of crops, no doubt harvested from this very batch, from two tightly wrapped knapsacks, the delectable treats would catch wind of a few tender words or perhaps eye a loving stroke or kiss before being consumed.

"Your father has gave us the day to explore the fields," A-kur proclaimed through a fit of heavy breaths; the reaping of a run that proved taxing to his more heavily built frame, however energetic it was, whilst Rek'd's own remained greatly unaffected, save for the occasional wavering breath that brushed up against his comrade's cloths, only to evaporate before it could pleasure any exposed skin. "We shall harness this time!" A-kur claimed. The youth of a more modest frame wondered, aloud, how, exactly, they would harness this time, to which A-kur chucked heartily and replied, "We'll escape these fields and run far through the woods- and then run farther, around the houses, to our secret gathering!"

The last two words caught the attention of Rek'd, as well as another Sangheili child. This child was brought to the fields by his father to learn the labor involved. He was not familiar to those sharp green eyes. The child, foreign as he was, harnessed a skin darker than purple, nearing black, which put a great amount of emphasis on his golden eyes, though it seemed to aid in the overlooking of the mass bearing such orbs. This was a shame, given that the youth's body teamed with more potential than even A-kur's!

Golden eyes flickered towards the running youths for just a second, openly pondering the words that were panted out, before they flicked back towards the elder of the two, whom was drawn to attention by words delivered with a thick accent littered by slang that was far from proper. Rek'd paid no further attention to the boy as he and his father disappeared behind fiery bursts of outgrowth, which engulfed them in a manner that would seem sickeningly fast, even through the eyes of a hardened war veteran who enjoyed a little drawn-out knife-play.

The ends of the fields bid farewell to the youths far too soon, only for the mass of trees, surrounding the central housing, to greet them with open branches and watchful holes disguised slyly as habitats to lure the typical being into a false sense of security. As even the trees flew by far too quickly, before turning away to tend to the animals so conveniently coexisting within their own methods of housing, Rek'd found his attention caught by a certain lingering scent. The aroma jumped from A-kur's drenched skin, which, given the overabundance of sweat, should have smelt anything but pleasing. This led one to suspect that the youth had drenched himself with a substance stronger than sweat, in preparation for today; the day he convinced the man ever admiring of his promising build to give the two youths time to run about the fields and discover, for themselves, the wonders of the harvesting season. However, A-kur stole the object of his affections away from such a day in favor of a trip into that ever welcoming seclusion offered by the lonesome spring.

Soon, A-kur found himself slowing to a stop, well over half-way to the spring, though far enough away to where it could not be seen. If it had been in view, the youth would have dragged his comrade all the way there, regardless of threats of respiratory failure. Rek'd silently mouthed words of thanks, as even his frame needed to slump against a tree, lest it wish to be completely torn by the time the spring was reached. One would find the thanks to be cut off as an organism, rather large and surely predatory, roared from across a straight clearing of trees, sending the slender form darting, as, one would figure, he was rather easy to scare into flight. A-kur steadily followed. The scheming youth hardly found it productive to stay behind and get caught by a beast made furious by an unintentional challenge.

Thuds and roars and pants and gasps and squeals and clicks filled the air as the three beings traveled in the same general direction, happening upon a sort of cliff like structure dictating a five foot fall that Rek'd had only noticed at the last minute. He was hanging over it in mid-air by the tip of his hoof when A-kur's fingers latched onto the back of his belt, causing a flurry of red to flourish in both youths' cheeks. A flabbergasted, and near-deafeningly shrill, shriek was flung through the heads of the trees, though all signs of discomfort were delightfully disregarded as the predator drew nearer.

A knife had been flicked open, after being drawn from between the folded cloths hanging from their respective belt, by two of the protective youth's finger, then wielded by all four. He held it in a defensive manner. The beast drifted into range, roaring with a false sense of victory, only to find its eye jabbed expertly as its main predatory focal point, Rek'd, was thrown to the side; to safety.

The creature reared back as ribbons of blood spurted through the air from its mutilated socket and stained cloths wherever it could manage. A-kur leaped through the air, bending his legs in a way that made him appear to become a ball, before snapping them opened, atop the beast, causing a crack to tempt the surrounding trees to throw their previous definitions of privacy to the wind and peer over their shoulders. They remained strong, just as the predator had, even after its spine had been damn near severed. It cried out as the protective youth exaggerated his weight, a numeral total to be reckoned with even without manipulation, downwards, to bring the wriggling mass below to the ground.

A sluggish struggle ensued between the two forms, consisting of the predator attempting to rid itself of the attacker, all ironically, by bucking while the boy atop it was given the incentive to try and hang on. This struggle ended with a slick slice, which effectively persuaded the skin enveloping the creature's skull to rip open and flood over its eye sockets with the blood below that dripped thick oozing out. Another cry, then another stab, this one quite noticeably more powerful than the last, and the creature fell, signaling Rek'd to relax with a loud thud. A-kur stepped down from its body and shook off his hooves, then wriggled his mandibles in apparent disgust as blood was found to have soaked his two draped cloths. The first could easily be discarded after an elaborate lie for its disappearance was weaved, but the second would have to be removed and washed, along with the bloodied body hidden behind it, whose muscles still pulsated with excitement.

Rek'd was glazed by those soft, green eyes and found to be of a fainter mess, though, given the fact that the youth never slipped out of his house equipped with a second cloth, he might as well be considered just as dirty. A-kur sighed. "We can walk the rest of the way," He half-suggested, noting a quickened nod from his comrade as the youth stood up and joined him. The protective of the two ran his arm around Rek'd's back. The far hip of his companion was snatched by all four fingers as he glanced around, on the watch for more predators. More energy was slyly invested in resisting the temptation to smile and laugh and flex his arms with an overbearing sense of well-deserved accomplishment.

A-kur found further urges surface as his comrade shed, washed, and spread the cleaned clothes out to dry, then climbed into the secluded spring along with him, silently bathing amongst him.

Rek'd's eyes, meanwhile, burdened themselves to catch a peek of the scheming youth before quickly snapping away with each attempt, just as scheming youth took notice. When one of these glances were caught, the object of A-kur's affections took a deep breath, stepped forward, placed a hand on the nearest bicep, and bestowed, upon him, a gesture that implied a multitude of thanks. Wriggling mandibles ran delightfully over each strip of exposed flesh soaked heavily with the waters of this secluded spring. The separation of the receivers' mandibles was only natural, as the gesture was meant to invoke a greater feeling of happiness. However, the deliverer of the gentle kiss did not foresee himself being steadily worked into a flexible pose that allowed both youths to face each other and bestow, upon each other, kisses that were aimed at the grand central station of each collection of features rather than the attractively definitive cheek bones that were laid off to both sides. A gentle breeze washed over the secluded spring, bringing forth flowers and leaves just loose enough to be plucked from their branches, then cast down to trace different features of different parts of the very different youths. Rek'd and A-kur chuckled as they pulled apart, however nervously, hesitantly, and reluctantly, and gazed at each other.

There was no question that they found themselves wondering, once again, if this was really right. They knew, at this point, that a certain point of awareness had been discovered in this relationship that they coveted, leading both boys to assume they'd be fools not to explore their desires further; to try and uncover more points, as any number of such could turn out to be quite precious. "Thank you," Rek'd whispered as he unwittingly asserted his spiritual hold on A-kur just a little bit more, calling for their foreheads to be pressed together for just a few silent moments before the evening bell would rip through the air. They appeared not to care about the expected interruption as they remained in the waters, unclothed as they were and close as they were, with foreheads pressed tightly and hands held together under the waters. It was suggested that they were only to withdraw at the last minute.

Thus, they did when that bell cried out again, calling for their separation and return.

Rek'd turned his eyes in its general direction, finding, instead, the familiar form of the foreign youth, now fully chiseled into the features of a grown man. The spring water, calm and ever flowing in nature, was gone. The sound of the bell was replaced by the repeated mumbles of the land that drifted from the lips below the elderly youth's hooves and A-kur, the beloved warrior, whom had just a first kiss, was returned to his rightful place far, far away. Cloths, however, were returned.

It was all the accompanied youth could do not to frown as he was offered the greeting of a field worker whom was on his way to a mid-day feast, though stopped after noticing the concentrated stare of his employer. "H'loder, Rei," The Sangheili, whom possessed a commendable frame, skin dyed black- with selections of gray markings and one red tattoo on his right arm, and an almost laughable height, said. He glanced upwards, and widened his eyes, at just about any being he offered a greeting, save those of innocence.

Rek'd replied with a respectful nod, while a nod of equal deference was returned by the initial guest, and a brief greeting of his own, "Innurven."

Innurven came to rest against a pile of harvested grains, all bundled quite tightly, quite neatly, into a square that resembled a love chair placed onto its side. He stared his employer in the eyes with the intention relaxing his own eyelids over their two golden spheres, so he could study this form of a newly proclaimed mating status. It was an odd mating status, or at least odd to a man whom had taken the liberty of keeping his love life traditional when choosing a mate, but a mating status none the less.

Thinking of it as such, the field worker couldn't bring himself to offer a batch of amiable congratulations immediately, even though he had displayed a passive temperament towards the two bound youths as they were silently accepted that morning, acknowledged through one surprised smile, delivered by Innurven's mate, that morning, and viewed at the parting ceremony that morning. "Sur, ai wunn'd ta-a'logaize fo'not wishen' wellth wi'ya mate wenai sawya wi'im urliur; ai reely do," The Sangheili ensured his employer after he had shifted uncomfortably against the harvested grain, lowering his head as if he was already on the verge of being fired for spitting insults. A bit of justification was added, regardless. "Ai wunn'd hem ta-know'm happy fo'yas bo'h, buh ai'was stun'd, ta'sey tha lest."

"That's alright," Rek'd assured Innurven as his eyes trailed to the fields. Vleo had met up with a few other Sangheili minors and commenced running from the fiery bursts of outgrowth to clearings that painted an eighth of the field as bare. The accompanied youth, whom whipped his eyes back to the field worker before him, silently expressed that he was quite flattered that the man had decided to stop and chat, however briefly, after, no doubt, working feverishly to get a day's hard work done in half a day with his comrades in tow. Truly, the Sek'r (Sek'ree) lineage knew which helping hands to take hold of. "I hardly expected much of anything, let alone an approving stare from you or the smile casted from your fine companion-" Innurven's golden eyes shined brightly as he jerked his head back suddenly, though almost inconspicuously, in surprise, seeing as the usual cast of bosses thought of themselves as ones whom needn't take the time to study their workers and their given relationships with those around them, let alone compliment the being any which helping hand had chosen to cherish the rest of their elongated days. Noting that Rek'd had always been known to just be a bit different than most, the field worker, the generously helping hand, allowed his features to reflect the expression that was offered to their host. "-thus, kind wishes, even those just a little late for my significant opposite to have bestowed upon him, are always welcome; they are always a pleasure to these ears."

"Ta'plesur isawl maine, Rei," Innurven allowed his speech to slip back into the use of informalities as he assured his employer that, truly, it was a pleasure to wish him well. "Ta'wish ya'an yur'faine mate ta'bes-" Because, truly, A-kur could be recognized as one of the finest mates that either man or woman could have netted with one's four fingers and brought close to join in matrimony, holy or not. "-tho'ai steel am'wishen' ta'make i'up ta'ya," The field worker allowed his golden eyes to avert to where Rek'd had focused his own sharply green orbs, pondering what he could possibly do. The squirming forms of children in the fields twirled and squealed.

He turned back to his employer with his arm extended, with both external fingers straightened from his palm whilst the internal two curved back towards and rested upon it, and mandibles spread; this gesture expressed a sort of silent 'ah, ha!' "Ta'firs day affa harves', ya'mus' com'on ovur ta'mai haus fo'a fest!' He suggested, then added, "Tha'misses weh'be ples'd ta'seya, a'curs."

At first, Rek'd allowed the smile that had worked its way into his features to slowly fade as the children were gazed at, by both men, this time, and watched for a short while as a familiar breeze passed through the area, drenching all with its indisputable sense of tranquility. It caused, it seemed, to settle the children down as Vleo, amongst the masses, came to a gradual stop and leaned over his knees, taking in breaths that were, no doubt, quite a pain to take in. This wind, as tranquil as it was, seemed to ease the burden by simply drifting into the youth's lungs and slowing that small heart to a steady level of activity.

He gazed upwards at his brother and the generously helping hand positioned atop the hill. It seemed, with this new air to breath, he would be able to make it up to where both men stood, thus, with a restored heart beating contently within him, Vleo began to ascend the hill. Rek'd was prompted to finish up his brief fit of conversing with Innurven.

"That sounds wonderful," The accompanied youth suddenly concluded. He drew the set of golden eyes back towards his figure. "Though, I trust you, personally, prefer to be graced by my presence rather than rest the first day after harvest," Rek'd was soon treated to an 'a'curs', which pressed him to continue, still. "And I trust it would be quite alright for my brotherly love to attend as well?" Another 'a'curs' drifted to the man's ears. "Then I would be pleased to be welcomed into your quarters, Innurven."

"An'ai wud'be ples'd ta'welkem ya, Rei."

Soon enough, Innurven departed, after noticing he had spent a great amount of his break lingering, to go forth and accompany his misses, whom, surely, had prepared a generous meal to satisfy the generously helping hand's stomach and tastes. Rek'd remained to welcome his brotherly love with open arms and soft kisses.

They walked, hand-in-hand, back to their shelter atop the hill. Vleo's day was inquired of, after the young Sangheili had been treated to an old story that provoked a puzzle of questions any adult would rather not solve for a child, which set the boy off into a frenzy of words that detailed nearly every moment of this wonderful day, at it had been described. These details, as they were provided, proved to cause the elderly youth's features to pull themselves back into a grin due to the warm-hearted approach that had been taken to just about every aspect rather than the frigid point-of-view that most adults, Rek'd included, tended to adopt, hate, and discourage all the same. Of course, after the inevitable leave of the only reliable source of warmth that had been known and the reliving of the first kiss brought about by such a source's actions, it was quite easy to see why this harvest day suddenly turned cold and how the elderly youth could come to appreciate the little bit of warmth his brotherly love managed to let off, despite the preexisting complications that plagued him from the start.


	4. Flowers

_**Part One: **_**Times Waiting --- **_**Chapter Three: **_**Flowers**

Rek'd felt his muscles scream in agony with every given movement, forcing him to wince as he attempted to walk down the path, leading to Innurven's house, with as much grace as the form had been able to muster for the watchful eyes of his lover. He supposed it was rather foolish to aid the field hands in their eight day harvest, brandishing no recent experience towards such a task, after feeling both calves, quadriceps groups, shoulders, biceps, triceps, wrists, and even his fingers, as well as that sensuous lower back and the gluteus maximus that followed it, all revolt for a split second, causing all actions to cease before picking up from where they had left off mere seconds later. Vleo watched, as he walked beside his brother with both their hands locked about the opposing palm, the elderly youth fidget, or simply freeze, then go about his day as if anything colored outside the lines remained inconspicuous. These sagacious errors, as frequent as they were, usually would have been pointed out, matter-of-factly, by the younger Sangheili, whom grasped no concept of what was obvious and what hardly was obvious, though the pressure administered to his tiny fingers, trying with all their might to resist the temptation to grow as red the swirls upon the Sun's cheekbones, with every jolt of pain Rek'd received convinced him that delaying his sore brother with childish chimes would only draw out this undesirable experience.

With a bit of peace and quiet brought about by the lack of conversation, disregarding the shrill chills induced by stringed screams, the day prior, which marked the last of the Days of Harvest, was reviewed countless times, bringing about a certain sense of euphoria, or, perhaps, a heightened warmth injected into aching muscles by an unknown force to dull the senses of the host, including those that acknowledged pain, that Rek'd had experienced when his generously helping hand had allowed those palms to fall against his employer's shoulders, ridding them of the pains of labor through gentle rubs pulsating with an utmost sense of care, which one would have considered flirtatious if viewing just the application of such. The claim that the techniques employed expertly through the motions had been plucked from Innurven's very own mate and used, until this very moment, on her exclusively hardly helped throw assumptions in the opposite direction, though the assurance that the accompanied youth's body was not to be pleasured by foreign touches and strokes and pokes and glazings that his generously helping hand had stumbled upon after the questioning that took place in his childhood for the future seduction of desirable individuals somewhat convinced a blissful consciousness otherwise, while spiking the eyebrow of its corresponding subconscious steeply.

After a good amount of fields hands had slid by, snickering at Rek'd's streak, seven days long, of showing up to work at sunrise, only to be forced to drag himself back up the hill upholding that glorious structure, with its glorious concept of rest, at sundown and Innurven's willingness to baby him, even after that public display of a mating disgrace, through the end of the most taxing week in the year; perhaps it was the fact that sweat did not equally drip from their brows or that their muscles had not always swollen up like flaming meteorites equivalently that made the men, ever suspecting that the sweat weaved over their frames, polished with masculinity, had appealed to those sharp, green eyes, though ever thankful they were not as close to their employer as a half-brother, practically cast the physical and verbal depictions of spit in the elderly youth's direction. These men were sensible, though; they knew that their jobs laid with treatment of this one man that would otherwise be shunned, without the influences of his inheritance, save by the edges of rocks and unkind words, thus they kept their mandibles tied tightly and offered a nod of faux deference to Rek'd, almost giving in to the temptation to laugh at, to mock, to induce shame in this being because of the infantile obliviousness towards intentions of actuality maintained to the best of his ability. These men were sensible, thus they left the scene rather quickly, showing favor towards taking advantage of this grand chance to court their neglected mates, whom had remained grossly untouched this week of harvest, really just harvesting the flashiest perk within the grasp of a working man, leaving those who dwelt mainly on the hill, one of which owned a comforting, although small, house that rested just along the edge, just beyond A-kur's living structure, while the other owned the larger estate that rested directly on top, to enjoy a moment of silence in the cleared fields deprived of the dull roar that rustled the crops as they grew all year long, as it had gradually faded into a sort of disembodied state that preferred to shushed itself when the winter wind would render it disheartening to part one's lips; even for a being without physical evidence of its own existence.

Although Rek'd thoroughly enjoyed Innurven's unofficial services, he was the first to pull away, straightening his worker's cloths as harvested grains were brushed from his upper body, after declining another offer of assistance that would lead to those foreign palms being pressed against the back's muscles once again, and slipped from the overturned love seat, which oddly resembled the one used just a week before this day (this very minute, in fact), that had provided both men with medial comfort, finding, as he twirled about, that a set of golden eyes, surrounded by skin greatly complimented by the evening sky in the sense that all colors, no matter their characteristics, were gathered together and displayed incandescently through tiny beads of sparkling sprinkled sweat that heightened their glow, had zoned in upon his form. The accompanied youth returned the gaze absentmindedly, wondering as many things about this generously helping hand that the hand himself had wondering of his beholder, though the two like beings pondered two completely different subjects, mused in two different manners, and drew two different conclusions, though their silence was of the same essence. "I'was a'plesur ta'havya praulen tha'feld w'us, Rei," Innurven suddenly said, seemingly allowing this statement implying flattery to slip from between his mandibles for lack of a better thing to say. His employer noticed a shaken, and stirred, quality to the voice that drifted from his throat, however clenched tight it was to withhold phrases thought up with passion, and undesirable in accordance to one's assumed tastes, as it was, though even this blockade allowed such details to pass over his mind as pressing forward a conversation of any given topic, was placed as the focal point of focus. "Ai a'ogaize fo'not aiden ya'nuph ta'kep tha'sorens awah. Ai trai'd ma'bess, ai reely di', buh ai'was de-fi-ci-ent in'tha respek, ai'spose."

"Tis my fault for failing to prepare this body to handle the strenuous taxes typical of field work, even with your generous palm tied to mine, Innurven," Rek'd affirmed as his eyelids separated lightly with a sighed surprise when a sudden slump backwards, onto the pile of harvested grains, stirred his generously helping hand, whom, while still atop the pile, supported his stumbling employer with two arms teeming with natural ability that was quite worth the praise that had been formulated in the accompanied youth's mind, though never delivered. Innurven, unknowingly, as he strained his limbs to aid this man, as he had all week, brought sealed memories of the week prior back to the forefront, silently forcing a reenactment of the moment in which generous palms rested upon his ribs, straightening the body that hosted them into a more permitting posture that would keep a wider range of movements from resulting in a wider range of pains, then move forward, through the week, to a point in which both men grabbed hold of a bundle of harvested grains, heaving it this way and that until, finally, slamming it into a reasonable spot before chatting nonchalantly, as they had before, then a bit back, to which they ate lunch together atop the hill that overlooked the entirety of the fields, scooted a bit closer to each other than initially intended. The stars sucked any startled stifles or stares from these men, allowing them just a moment to collect themselves before turning in for the night. "You're far from deficient," Rek'd continued, after a significant pause, as he glanced up to Innurven, who peered down at him from behind the golden eyes that very well could have been mistaken for stars had their size, their beauty, their grandness not outshone the demi-gods above. "Through my eyes, I see one whom utilizes his own generosity, good will, and kindness in a ploy to aid others wherever their abilities prove to be just short of making a given situation feasible-" And there are no mortals whom can color outside these lines just drawn. "-and one whom accepts aid whenever he needs another's palm to lock with his own as...well..." A soft breeze flew through the night sky, showering any stirring beings with leaves and flowers that that had long succumbed to the powerful influence of winter, flaunting dark purple and black bursts as they danced through the air; a stark contrast to the bright colors, ranging from pink to even a tanned brown, that held them to their roots. "...as one who is equal to any other, regardless of the size differences presented, or perhaps superior when compared with those whom drag you down through ill-founded speech and ideals, as you are two parts intertwined to create a whole being of commendable idiosyncrasies and magnanimity."

"Ya'delivur suhm'kain'd words, suhm'flaturen words, fo'ma sake, an'maine alone, Rei?" Innurven asked as he eased forward his employer, then slipped from the overturned pile of harvested grains of-a-love-seat and stood behind the man ridiculously taller than he, though found no impediments in keeping his hands along the sides of the shaken form, supporting it as if a fall could result at any second. "Ai'new ya'tabe a'kain'd man, a' gen-tle-man, buh na'ta thi'respek, Rei," Those palms grew tensed, surging with anxiety that cause each cell in that skin to jump about, colliding with Rek'd's skin at one point or another, causing the accompanied youth to turn about, in them, and run his hands along the impressively molded arms until they released his form, leaving the generously helping hand to be the one whom was touched, along his arms muscles, until all eight fingers drifted down to his own, graced their tips, then left. Innurven glanced up at his implied equal, just as his equal had glanced up at him, and almost protested the sudden departure of those fingers, though he found the words to become stuck in his throat, forcing the very profound voice that often led men to their work to slump into an underwhelming fit of, "Ai...ai..." that caused a smile to emerge in the on-looking features.

"We..." Rek'd suggested, then continued. "Perhaps we both should aspire to make haste down the paths to our rightful homes. Surely, we both have treasured beings awaiting our arrivals."

Somehow, the generously helping hand had come to forget about his home and the woman that dwelt within it this very night and, because of such, felt a wave of shame wash over his existence, mirrored by the motion that drove their bodies apart, however reluctantly, and glanced off to the side, slightly trembling as he watched the dead leaves, both dark purple and black, shuffle across the ground, dancing majestically, and pondered his answer. Something inside this blackened form, this mysterious form, ignited a flame, mixed with anger and passion, to burn inside him as he stood amongst the fields this frigid, autumn night and reflected upon the fact that, out of all the years he has spent upon this settlement, no one had explained him as being of equal ability, or, god forbid, superior, due to his characteristics rather than hindering his self-esteem, just a bit farther, due to his height, and the feeling that it caused invoked a sort of wave about the heart that soothed rather than stung. Somehow, this feeling was to be achieved again, Innurven resolved, once the burning finally settled as a fond sensation defining a memory that chilled vulnerable lungs with smoke and stirred choked breaths, which further delayed the awaited reply, though Rek'd was patient; he would wait all night for such an answer, if that's what it took to obtain these following few words, regardless of the priorities spelled out beforehand. _'Suhmthen els', yeh, fome ta'fain'd com-men-da-ble bou'im.' _

"Ai'm wishen ta'escurt ya'home, Sur," Innurven spouted. He almost beamed as his employer bowed his head in a respectful manner, which garnered one of equal deference in return, thus finalizing the acceptance of the offer, giving permission to the generously helping hand to walk by his side and protect him from anything that fancied the suffering of other beings, be it the wind, another Sangheili, or even a craft of unknown origin; Rek'd would find that anything that would come his way would be effectively deflected. Of course, the walk was not long and almost completely devoid of danger, when contemplating renegade leaves flashing spines divinely weld, though both men enjoyed it anyhow, especially as they traveled the most serene section of the silent passage. It was an especially chilly night, the two had realized after walking through the clearing devoid of love seats, thus the accompanied youth offered Innurven the chance to join hands with him and step inside, a chance that would surely not have been passed up by the rather sane field worker.

Rek'd felt himself being led, once again, through the large door frame of his housing, which seemed no more strange than usual until the lights inside, sparked by the little creature known as Vleo, rushed forward, with smoke in tow, and seized a hold of him, yanking the elderly youth from Innurven's grasp and delivering him unto the harsh hands of Rek'aug. Such hands lived up to god-given labels as they dragged the suddenly-youthful-elderly youth to the dinner table, placed in such a boastful manner, as it sat by the largest window any house had known, so all those who passed by the impressive estate atop the hill could peer at it, that had already serviced A-kur and the boy's mother, both of which were sitting in front of a pair of plates, still somewhat steaming. Once Rek'd reached an empty chair, he was forced into the air, then set down upon the wooden surface, across the table from he who coveted him as an object of affections, in a softened manner, as if the father who so openly displayed rigid tendencies took a breath of fresh air and came to the conclusion that he need apologize, however silently, to his deficient son. He could have hurt him, after all.

Soon, though, perhaps a little too soon, Rek'aug moved onto the mysterious woman whom had captured his tenderness through general characteristics and deeds, such as preparing the meal that sat on the table top, harnessing it only for herself as she allowed her eyes to glide over the two boys at the table as if they could hardly be described as legitimate life forms. The two adults met, briefly embraced, so as to not be driven into a fit of passion in front of the youths at the table by a teasing kiss, then sat down, prying at each other with their orbs from across the supportive structure; Rek'd and A-kur mirrored this, though the two boys allowed themselves to throw glances towards those at the deep end, just to make sure they were far too wrapped up in their own sheets to jump into someone else's. In between these glances, the object of affections told a story with his eyes; one detailing the day, as it had come to be. First, the boy had woken up early in the morning after being stirred by his father; today was branded the day he would learn of the grueling work that the field hands found to be mandatory to suffer through, while the youth's father merely endured it to retain the high opinion others held for him. After Rek'd had been dragged down the hill, the boy endured dry lectures on harvesting procedures, zoning in and out to the heroic actions of A-kur and the delightful kisses that occurred in the secluded spring, which begged both boys to shed their skins and flourish in their purest forms, regardless of their pounding hearts and shyness towards each other. The youth found his father to be an expert at timing, though, as the man woke him whenever a slight pressure and warmth had applied itself to his frontal cloth; surely, it would have been rather unfortunate for father to inquire about an irregular (or, perhaps, given the youthfulness and gender of the boy, quite regular?) bump in the otherwise stiff linens.

After a few close calls, Rek'd had decided to pay attention and force back any yawns, but found the odd allure to run at the first instance his father turned away to retrieve a prop. Naturally, Rek'aug was rather surprised, at first, after having whipped his head about to view locate a desirable crop and pluck it with his forefingers, to find the boy had launched himself, like a canon ball, through the crops, then grew enraged, a mood illustrated quite well by the red that swirled into his features, and barbarically stomped throughout the fields, seeking the boy; an ill-fated search that lasted the course of the day, leaving the father in a mood less stable than a hurricane that happened into the frigid north. This hurricane was at its strongest once it reached the door of its own estate, coming to find its offspring resting upon a pail with mandibles stretched wide in a greeting, only for such a welcome to be met with harsh hands and a raised voice that had ushered the child inside not too long ago. A-kur, honestly, had wondered why the boy was waiting by the door of his own house, throwing his head from side to side in anxiousness before waving wildly and allowing the two current guests inside, though this had failed to instill as many questions within the scheming youth as the fact that his object of affections had wandered about without seeking his company. Perhaps he had needed a day to himself in order to contemplate their relationship, as splendidly spirited as it was, after being forced onto the blandness that was the crop fields? Perhaps he went off through the woods to find a memento to present to his protector as a commemoration of the next jump they would take in their relationship? What could such a gift be, though? Something as simple as a rock? Something as grand as a jewel? Something as simple as the former but as precious as the latter? Could it even be physical if it relied so much upon the depth of meaning that it would, no doubt, radiate? Would it prove to be ephemeral so A-kur would remain to obtain it again? Would it increase in favorability as time passed? The scheming youth could only wonder as his thoughts progressed in one direction rather than exploring all possible paths, raising expectations towards Rek'd's romantic generosity, sparked ever since that fateful day that occurred just one week ago.

At the other end of the table, both adults had finished their dinner and stood, with plates in hand, still facing each other, then moved to the sink and deposited them to be dealt with later, as, now, the fit of passion that grew with each second their gazes were held seemed to become too much to suppress; alone, at least. As Rek'aug settled his hands over the spine of the womanly figure before him, unfixing her cloths in a way that drew a sort of chuckle from her throat and a slight smile; a slight smile that was nowhere near as endearing as the first that had fallen upon the father's skin, though he seemed not to notice, with his eyes focused elsewhere until two slender, elongated palms halted his substantial will. He blinked, then glanced to the children, remembering, now, that they persistently remained, existed, as if he had not believed it until he had seen it, and glowered. Though, his features brightened noticeably as a tender palm drifted upwards, gracing his stern jaw with a sort of elegance that invited his strength to challenge it, to take a hold of it, to take advantage of it and make of it something more; Rek'aug had hoped for no other invitation than this. "You tempt me," He stated, almost flatly, though there was an underlying excitement in his bombing voice that the mysterious woman had heard and attempted to bring about again, though in a more intense manner, as she slipped her hands behind his neck and ran them down his back. "You tempt me-" The father shivered lightly. "-to become more of a man, less predictable, more of nature, so you may tame me all ironically? Clever woman! I shall comply; I shall show you the true extent of my nature, so you will know of the man you wish to claim..."

The two adults excused the boys from their places at the table, then ushered them outside to play amongst themselves, while the adults, too, played amongst themselves. A-kur kept his eyes upon the ground, contemplating the occurrence that had just taken place and future events that it would impose upon this secret love, before Rek'd stepped forward and laced his fingers with his protector's nearest hand, attracting a neutral look that received a smile in return. The two boys had some time together now and one would be a fool to guess that the secluded spring had failed to cross both their minds, due to the skipped beats produced by their hearts, then crossed their paths, as they ran to it, hand in hand, for it was night and no one would see the loving gesture. "I've something to give to you; something very dear to me," The accompanied told his love, with enough motivation to allow A-kur to overlook the bond their parents shared and run, possibly the hardest he ever had, towards his shared dome of privacy.

As they arrived, Rek'd sat his protector down next to the spring, facing the youth away from him, and jumped into the bushes, rustling until he had seemed to disappear, at which point A-kur glanced over his shoulder, though whipped those soft, green eyes back to the water when the rustling occurred once again, announcing the youth's emergence back into the clearing soaked by dew drops of moonlight. He next to the river bank, with a hand twisted around his back, then offered his significant opposite a quick kiss before a stunning flower, with storms of pedals dyed dark purple and a tanned brown with waving hues of blue about the stems, which connected at the middle of their lengths, displaying a rare mutation that was actually beloved by many beings, rather than scorned, was presented, bringing both youths to a moment of silence, of hesitation and deep thought for one, anticipation and suspense for the other, before they leaned forward, with both their hands gripping the stem, above its joining, of the flower colored in a manner not matching their own, and joined in a simple gesture of togetherness; one which prompted the two youths to wrap their nearest arm around their significant other as their free hands came around front, and laced, with fingers pointed towards the sky. A-kur lowered his head, onto which Rek'd would rest his head upon, then commenced a slow movement between the two that allowed them to swish back and forth with the graceful air about them whilst releasing a chorus of loving coos and squeals quite pleasing to the ears. They remained this way until they fell asleep, next to each other, ending a night not quite groundbreaking, as far as the next step in their relationship could go, though it was cherished nonetheless.

Rek'd awoke in his bed the next morning, jumping from one time to another unwillingly. He was glad to find that Innurven was not gracing his side with the frame the elderly youth found to be ever so attractive, though he mused that it would have eased his aching mess of a body. Amidst the pained stupor, a flower was spotted through the window of the building resting half-way down the hill; it was well grown, flourishing, and quite beautiful, regardless of the mutation that caused the flowers to be joined around the middle. Rek'd smiled, even though he already knew A-kur had kept the stubborn shrubbery since it was bestowed upon him that night, simply wonderful as it was. As the sheets were tossed aside, it was noted that the gift must be retrieved later in the day, so as to maintain it long enough to develop a soft of bargaining chip, which would effectively entice a certain, beloved warrior into moving from his establishment half-way down the hill (half-way too far, in Rek'd's opinion) in favor of joining his lover within the home he so rightfully deserved.

The elderly youth extended an arm, intending to place his fingertips against the chilled window before him, only to find his skin polish the surface of Innurven's head, which replaced the wooden structure that had replaced the glossy glace that had been latched in its position just moments earlier. Rek'd froze up gently, then continued with the stroke once he noticed that the generously helping hand before him had already bowed, expecting this gesture implying the proposal of good wishes upon his home, then straightened as the palm of dominant social characteristics was directed downwards towards a receptive batch of fingers, which wrapped around it carefully, though with a sort of quality to the grip that suggested it belonged to a man of foreign upbringing that could hardly care less for standings; what mattered to him was strength and his employer experienced a sort of empowering aura about this being that reinforced his silent disregard of money's authority. This new breach in character, this new brand of stern confidence, had caught the elderly youth off guard, though he didn't express it grandly as his host marked each finger of the captured hand with the imprint of a mandible before he stepped aside, making just about enough room in the doorway for Rek'd and Vleo to wander through, one after the other.

A crack of thunder graced their ears, "Welkem t'mai home, ya'tou."

Both brothers allowed their hand to join the others' as they looked about the house, which consisted of a large, central room containing a kitchen, a small area for a pair of mated Sangheilis to spend their time chatting and cuddling, and two closed doors; one, presumably, was to be the master bedroom, while the other was, surely, was a preplanned attachment room, which could serve oncoming offspring and visitors alike. Rek'd was busy studying the furniture, a dining room set with merely four chairs, a few countertops placed atop a storage section which housed every bit of food, a self-constructed fire place next to the counter-tops, which Innurven built himself, just as he built the whole damned house himself, with sizzling pots above it that made empty stomachs rumble rather loudly, a love seat turned upwards and made of bunched feathers wrapped in firm leathers, rather than grain gathered by thin wires, a stack of stuffed cushions lying in the corner of the room, and a table with adjusted legs, which was assumed to have been for guests to sit about and set their drinks whilst conversing heartily, when those two strong arms from the night prior whipped about his upper body and began removing the cloths protecting his eye-pleasing torso. A palm snapped onto one of the intruding wrists, halting its progress, before Rek'd reminded himself that this motion was the traditional removal of unneeded garments, performed by the host of any visit, and relaxed his tense muscles whilst delivering a mumbled apology to the generously helping hand, whom smiled brightly as he accepted it gracefully, then assisted Vleo with his own torso cloths and hung up the matching younger brother, older brother set of vibrantly stitched clothing, silently envying the fact that it, with its outrageous designs and schemes, had virtually made up for the lack of exposure of the naked hide below it.

"Such a home displays your superiority in the league of craftsmanship, Innurven, and the efficiency of it, that being determined by the fact that it's just snug enough to keep you and your Misses warm and any possible babes or 'venturers, is far more admirable than my own," Rek'd complimented his host's housing as he took another look around, then met the anxious, golden eyes ever rested upon his form, giving them the signal to relax and become content as a palm was rested against their host's shoulder, over a effervescently red tattoo the elderly youth had become quite familiar with over the years, and a satisfied spread of the mandibles came about; Vleo reflected the latter showing of glee as he jumped into the pile of cushions. The initiative to follow the boy's lead and glide across the floor to the table for light conversing purposes rather than full feasts was taken, finding the two attending men to face each other as they got onto their knees and placed both palms firmly against the surface. This motion would not be released until both were given their drinks by the female of the household, or called to the table. "That tattoo," Rek'd's sharp, green eyes marveled at its elaborate design as it curved from Innurven's neck, slipped over the edge of his shoulder, and seized the elbow, where thin edges carefully carved with ink rounded the prominent joint meet about the start of the radius bone, coming to an end. It was rather impressive, especially if the assumption that it was self-applied were to be fact. "Twas gnawing at my lobes all week, and continues to do so even now, as its make-up, its actual essence and beauty, must mean something, something foreign, I'm guessing-" A hand was turned upwards in silent questioning, with a sideways nod confirming that the tattoo was, indeed, of foreign origins. "-that one such as myself, whom has lived amongst myself in this clearing for so long, could not come to comprehend without the generous palm of one educated in that respect."

"Rei; a'ways s'outen words o'kain'dnes n'flaturie, a'ways a' gen-tle-man firs'!" Innurven exclaimed with a fit of glee brought about the constant praise, from his equal, no less, as he attempted to return it, to give his guest something to blush about rather than the other way around, which proved to be successful. Rek'd couldn't help but to smile widely, with his definitive cheek bones quite reddened, as his host laughed in a manner most good natured, quite enjoying the conversion undergone by those grown features he found his tastes so drawn in by, which shifted them in such a way that brought out that quality of charming adorableness not quite lost after all these years, though certainly dulled by external causes that drove millions of mortals prior to an early decay. "Thes'marken 'ere issa' path fo'maiself, fo'mai Misses, ev'n fo'yurself, ta'follo," The generously helping hand explained as he brought the tattooed arm around, with its palm still pressed to the table, and set the elbow down, flexing those muscles above it, so as to widen the path and illustrate his point. He glanced up, noting his guest's wriggling mandibles, as well as the present youth's watchful eyes, which peered over the horizon of one of the cushions. "Tha'meenen o'tat isyuroan ta'fain'd, Rei, so'make o' i'wu'ya weel," Rek'd was caught off guard, once again, by his host's straightforward approach to answering the questions posed to him, which, in turn, eliminated all extra time in which to respond, as the generously helping hand turned his attention to the squirming mass of youthful joy in the cushions, chuckling at the stiff movements produced. "Li'el Vleo! Com'an sit wih'us," The youth complied, taking the place next to Innurven, whom wrapped his strong arm around the boy and pulled him close, with obvious affection, as a proper father would have, causing the boy to collide with his body and wrap both arms around the bulky form presented. "How'v ya'be'n, bo'?"

"Fairly fortunate," The young sangheili replied as he was stroked about the temples, which prompted him to spread his short, pointed mandibles and close his eyes with glee, before releasing the generously helping hand and placing his own atop the low-level table in a sort of mock of the adults present, though the boy had not structured himself on his knees, but, rather, his bottom. He peered up at the strapping worker with a sort of admiration that reflected the given effects of the disease that little body carried through impressionable eyes. "I haven't been able to go out and play as much, because of winter-" Vleo shivered, then coughed, just thinking about such a season. He garnered the warmth of the darkly colored hand of the man who sat next to him, whom reflected the concerned look that overtook the elderly youth's features. "-but I've found entertainment through books and the arts and my dear brother, after he had come home from helping you in the fields."

"A', so'heh wuh'out fo'mai sake," Innurven concluded as he spotted an expression, which begged the young one to hold his tongue when it came to such subjects, flash across Rek'd's features out of the corner of his eye. Further caught by this eye, precious and golden as it was, was the figure of a feminine being that had emerged from the master bedroom, dressed in impressive linens the generously helping hand had remembered paying for and plucking from a cart about a month ago, then presenting to his wife in exchange for a bit of furthered togetherness. His smile brightened just a little as the figure- "A'!" -that was presumably- "Mai Misses!" -seized a tray from the counter and started towards her husband and his guests. "Ai'ha' wundr'd wenya'd jo'nus," Innurven was hushed as beverages, prepared beforehand, were brought about the table and set down in front of each man, while a cup of dimensions hacked in half was dispensed to the front of Vleo, likely of less intensity, as far as the contents went, giving Rek'd the time to bow his head and retract his hands in thanks and widen his eyes as he was discombobulated by the woman before him. "Sh'rlie," The strapping worker spoke as his hand gestured towards his wife, suggesting to her that she meet his palm halfway; she did, and bent downwards, just to render her face recognizable by her husband's guest. "Ya'no o' Fiera."

"I had witnessed you both hugging hips the day I had pronounced, silently, that A-kur's and mine own were to be considered concurrently conjoined, but I had never figured-"

"He does," She assured Innurven, then ushered Vleo over to his brother's side so that she may hug her husband's hip and admire the resistance both his and the elderly youth's knees displayed when pressed to withstand the harshness of a floor bearing no decorative covering of comfort. Those eyes, pink at the edges, though red near the center, as they were, twirled colors about their pupils as curiosity took hold of the hostess' features, which expressed satisfaction as she researched his form, finding not the frailty that was present within it before, but, actually, an enhanced tinge of masculinity that had enveloped him all the same when he was just a boy, though developed quite nicely, more noticeably, over the years; it wasn't quite as impressive as her husband's frame, though Fiera attributed that to Rek'd's height, which stretched out the provided muscles to fill his elongated limbs; something rather unusual for the member of a species that is quite tall, in its own right, compared to other species; the generously helping hand was, although inversed physically, just as odd, when it came to biological phenomena. "Tis a pleasure to have you about again, Rek'd."

"I can assure you both that a likewise sensation erupts within me whenever I lay at your fingertips, as a hastening visitor, a passing friend, and so on, though, now, as I rest in your home with you, I must say that such a feeling has increased intensely," The elderly youth bowed his cup forward as he lifted it, a sign of respect towards those whom sat across the table from him, then emptied a batch of fluid into his mouth and gathered those mandibles about each other to contain the liquid, so as to keep it from enhancing his own sexual appeal through drops sliding sensually over the exposed chest below, as he gradually spilled its contents into the stomach that so readily awaited a time of arrival. Rek'd's tongue brushed against the teeth outlining each mandible, drawing out the stragglers of the drink whilst the main body was set back down onto the table. This drink was rather odd, he decided, not being quite like anything he had consumed before, though it was pleasing in just about every aspect, save sight; the cup in which the liquid presented sloshed about proved practical enough, though the literally lively, and bubbling, mass within caused the whole package to erupt into a revolting mess. Thankfully, the elderly youth had not peered down into his glass before warming his innards with the beverage, as his hosts would have come to be insulted through a simple retraction of the palm that surely would have come to pass. "I had forgotten what it was like to be amongst friends, as of late; thank you, you both, for allowing me to indulge in this flourish of mine; one I treasure greatly," Rek'd shivered as he took another swig of the drink in front of him; just before the warming sensation drew him into a dream-like daze, chilled hands took a hold of his form and massaged its aching muscles, causing him to set down the drink and press his palms firmly against the table as he sung, in unison with Innurven, a song commemorating the laboring men, laboring friends, written specifically to ease their pains, just as this drink, wherever it had been concocted, had been made to lure its predator into a state of bonafide euphoria.

Rek'd struck that label in his mind; this could not be a true state of bonafide euphoria without the hands of his beloved warrior being those which caused this skin to sliver and vibrate and muscles to loosen in preparation for the-gods-know-what, though all mortals knew they would offer an arm and a leg in able to become one half of the whole happening; this elderly youth was no different. In fact, the wish for pleasure, regardless of whom it was delivered by, after a week of hard labor and unnecessary abstinence, illustrated just how easily it could grab one by the nether region and intensify one's need to achieve their desires, with another of open arms, through Innurven's and Fiera's guest as he propped himself onto both knees and pressed one palm against the center of the table, for support, after almost stumbling forward, whilst the other laid suggestively atop the fiery tattoo of the field tender, calling forth heat from the flame ridden weaves and the muscles below to wrap about Rek'd and keep the hold alive and well, though render the being, whom initiated this hold, frozen in a posture that suggested a failure of heart brought about by the coldness of winter. Only Fiera's touch offset the man, bringing him back to reality as the ever growing possibility of a black out surged throughout those softening muscles strapped to that ridiculously scaled body, and forced him to come in touch with his senses, which lead him to believe stroking the surface of this generously helping hand with the intention of converging wasn't quite the first-rate idea that this drink, laced with whatever chemicals the elderly youth had not been properly warned of, made it out to be. He drew his hand away, only to have it caught by the strength of Innurven, whom had worn a look of bewildered interest up to now, then turned over to the Misses, whom took it upon herself to remove Rek'd from the room for a bit of rest before dinner. She seemed devoid of anger, though contained an overabundance of shock; the elderly youth wondered if Fiera had seen his actions as a sort of accident, triggered by the want to get up and the deficiency to do so properly, due to alcohol plaguing this man's system. Either way, such a cover was appreciated.

It was rather impressive that both beings made it inside the master dwelling before either collapsed, the one from strain, the other from being dazed beyond reason. Rek'd was placed onto the bed and allowed to sort his mind out as it swirled round and round, creating a whirlwind of ideas and events from which the elderly youth was forced to pick while enduring chuckles likely aimed at his inability to consume a foreign beverage, let alone one which literally swum about in its own drunken stupor. He felt his eyelids slowly engulf the orbs below, sending him sprawling backwards into the ever flowing sheets below, though they did not feel like fabricated sources of nightly warmth. Curious palms found several upwards bursts of outgrowth to curve under them, only to spring back up in between the inevitable appendages, before being swayed to bend once again, or after the invading hand had left them to go about the rest of their lives. Both sharp, green eyes revealed themselves, in turn drawing a smile, extra bright with searing light, from the sun that pressed the cover of each eye to flow down half-way, so as to preserve the clarity of vision they provided.

A few moments of sickeningly sweet silence passed as the grass swayed and leaves played amongst each other mid-air and the sun warmed everything in the fields, though it seemed as if the rays had no effect beyond keeping those crops from shivering violently for just a few more days before they were cut, ground, seasoned, and consumed during the winter, aside from a few down on the restricted side of the field, which would be cut, ground, rolled in paper, and smoked. Rek'd wondered, at first, why he was laying about the grass, shrouded in its influence rather than over at A-kur's house, inquiring if the scheming youth was able to provide a lone youth with some company, then, as the future slipped away, the past hit him with an answer; should he parade about the clearings carelessly, his father surely would unearth his position and punish him for running off. The youth shivered just thinking about it, or, perhaps, that was suffocating needles tickling his spine. Either way, he sat up, looked about and spread his mandibles, then pulled them together and spread them again absentmindedly before they widened further with surprise, quickly being twisted shut by an unfamiliar form that had emerged from the fiery bursts of outgrowth not too far away to keep any squeals the Sangheili boy could muster from cutting through the autumn air. Rek'd mumbled a bit, though, and attempted to shimmy away until the loveliness of this form caught his attention, effectively halting him in his fumbled tracks as she released his features, then motioned for him to follow. All features were scrunched with appalled curiosity before a roar, citing the boy's name, caused the crops to tremble in its wake, then more to be pushed aside as a getaway route was adopted after, first, being established by the mysterious girl, whom had disappeared back into the fiery bursts of outgrowth, he followed.

They stopped, side by side, in front of a cleared path as the Sangheili girl glanced over her shoulder, then snatched Rek'd's hand and bolted forward again, dragging him along until the speed of this run could be adjusted to without any stumbles taking place as a penalty for hastening. This quite reminded him of the adventure through the forest the accompanied youth had shared with his protector just a week prior, which had sparked that kiss, and ensuing kisses of equal wonderment, and brought the two boys to a physical understanding of one another; their bodies were quite different, in the sense that only their gender rendered them fitting to be considered alike, and, thus, would hold many startling discoveries, all favorable in the very sense of the word, that they both silently agreed to explore when they were older; when they could truly appreciate the beauty that they both had to offer, be it under abrupt circumstances or after the tenderness of secluded moments stringed together to make a very memorable night. Tonight, after the parents and two boys ate, both Rek'd and A-kur were almost guaranteed to be booted from the house, at least, that was part of the accompanied youth's plan, which would, thus, lead to another night they shall spend together, be it significant or not.

A sudden skid, another stop, and both Sangheili children found themselves in a patch of extraordinarily vivacious flowers that glowed with the utmost glee and offered, to all who wandered into their domain, a reflection of the sun smile's, which made the spinning buds, seemingly switch colors as they remained in their rightful spots, all the more blindingly beautiful. Songs strung together by sanguine spirits floated with the breeze, though remained in this one clearing, this one special spot, without becoming as stagnant as a room whose main entrance had been sealed, before skillfully swaying through the trees at such a time that allows the next song, the next batch of spirits, to flesh themselves out in an overblown manner that actually fit the scenery. As the girl launched herself forward, dancing amidst the flowers so cheerfully spitting their soulful notes, Rek'd merely glanced around, then plucked a flower by the stem, ending, although not immediately, its part in this grand chorus of life, which actually consisted of pushing ear-pleasing vibrations through two vocal cords cleverly placed about the dark purple pedals of one bud, and the light brown pedals of the other, instead of right below the stamen of both. The song seemed hampered by this sudden dismissal, almost to the effect in which the accompanied youth wished he hadn't stolen this unique flower, though there was nothing to be done about it now. The boy figured it would not hurt the song as much to seize another flower for this girl, whom still skipped about the chorus, as a parting gift, though Rek'd did not rush her; he surveyed the dance laid out before him, pointing out, to himself, which steps he favored over others and which could use a little work in order to accent the young body using them as footstools for every given motion at every given point in the dance, then clapped lightly as the dancer settled into a twirl that utilized the transparent cloths hanging from those of actual practicality. As her hooves pressed together to signify a dignified end, she smiled at him, gladdened by the fact that he had enjoyed the presentation, despite the missteps that had littered it throughout.

He walked over, handed her the flower not mutated and she smiled. "I'm Fiera," She claimed. "Fiera Tem'ress," She was given his name and then was gone, having disappeared through the fiery bursts of outgrowth delivering the expected, "Twas nice to meet you!"

Then he appeared. Rek'd redirected his eyes to meet the golden orbs just across the batch of flowers, contemplating just who this other Sangheili child, mysterious as far as the identity of the dancer had been, as he rose a foot, then placed it firmly against the ground, as if afraid to venture further. This youth, foreign to the set standards of this clearing as he was, was permitted to work out his insecurities, drawing out one foot, then the other, in a stiffened cycle of tenseness that would prompt him to run at the first sight of trouble, though none came, so he was reluctant to have even thought about going away, especially after harnessing the courage to finally seek to interact with this youth; to accompany him, to become his friend. He wasn't sure why these aspirations had developed; he just knew they were right, in feeling, as this boy, whom had dashed by that memorable day just one week ago, shared with him a dreaded similarity, one which actually could be manipulated into a bearable genetic fault that brings these two boys closer. If only Innurven had noticed the light brown flower already so closely clenching the accompanied youth's hip.

"Hello," Rek'd greeted his observer, holding out a hand for the foreign youth to take a hold of; oh, who knows what type of hopes bounced about his lobes because of this! "Are you lost?" Innurven nodded slowly as he reached out and seized the palm, staring at the joining of hands with both his eyes before directed them towards the flowers, searching for a certain breed his homeland had known, which consisted of a lineage of flowers known to brandish velvety black pedals that stole the cherished rays of the sun, as if to take hold of the distributing powers bestowed upon the beholder, and display a sense of confidence in such an alluring way that other flowers had no choice but to grow facing towards them. Regardless of the eye strains and thoroughness and effort placed within the searches, not one of these flowers were to be found stealing influence from the sun, leaving a sort of void in the collection, or, perhaps, a lack thereof to prevent an intruder to steal the eyes of flowers in need of the engaging release that was the sky above.

"Ai'spos ai'm laust," Innurven returned as he gazed at Rek'd, hesitantly taking in the sight of the accompanied youth in between torn glances that placed his pupils anywhere else, save the gathering of flowers just a few feet away, which led all those about, including the sun and the flowers and the trees and the leaves, to ponder his temperament, be it only temporary, hiding an individual worth extracting from this protective shell that cloaked him, or of eternity of this air, regardless of the stagnancy that would surely be about it, as his golden eyes, all wise in appearance, deflected all attempts to peer into his mortal soul. It was almost heartbreaking, this privacy the foreign youth involuntarily exercised, though it was readily dismissed in favor of the mindset that intended on seeking out the appropriate kin and deliver this boy onto them; into arms that could wrap about him in ways that expressed understanding and togetherness so desperately hunted by each and every child that had come to live, continued living on, or had yet to be born. Innurven trembled as he stood next to this youth and focused those golden eyes mainly on him, proving successful at utilizing those ever useful reserves of courageousness thus far, though it was a universally asked question as to how long he would be able to remain gazing forward before exhausting those dire resources. "Ya'no tha'way?" He asked as he faced away, attempting to collect himself long enough for just one more look at this being. For both youths, this moment would come and form a friendship between the two that would last to this given point in time, but for Rek'd, as he stood (or, rather, laid), this moment would drift away as it came for his time to recollect for just one more look at the being before him. The elderly youth stirred the sheets as he erected himself with a palm pressed against his temples and the other held dearly by Innurven, whom had taken it upon himself to remain at his guest's side while Fiera entertained Vleo in the room immediately outside the door. "A'!" The generously helping hand exclaimed as Rek'd's shoulder brushed his own. "Ai'taut ya'ta hav'be'n laust, Rei."

"There's no need to worry on my behalf, Innurven," His guest assured, then hesitated slightly before brushing their heads together, a double-edged sign that expressed a deep gratification in the fact that the man had remained by his side and an intense chemistry hidden beneath the implied friendship of the two beings sharing the motion, which took the host aback for just a few seconds before the gesture was returned with a series of rigid coos and squeals, which mixed together in a delightful way. After their forms separated, Rek'd added, "I've known the way for some time now."

"Ai'spos ya'hav," Innurven squeezed Rek'd's hand, applying just the right amount of pressure to instill, in the elderly youth, a cloud of confusion that remained after failing to be cast away through a fit of silence that enveloped both men as the host stood from his spot on the bed and glanced over his shoulder, back at his guest, just taking in this view of him, here, where he had never come to be before, and probably would be reluctant to be again, given the context of this situation. Golden pearls met sharp, green orbs in a reading that turned up messages lacking coherency, though messages all the same, to be deciphered whenever the receptive hairs wafting about desired to be of more immediate use or either youth, either warrior, as a matter of fact, found the time to sit or lay about alone and ponder this chance meaning, in hopes of indulging in a dissection to study the contents lying within. "R'gar'les, ai'd'laik ta'givya a'hand," Contrary to his speech, though, Innurven allowed their palms to slip, as he knew, if his assistance was desired, this guest of his would surely throw all four fingers forward and suspend his hand; the host merely waited for an insistent tug as he turned about and took a step towards the door; the sound of two sets of skin colliding rang out far sooner than expected. Both men found themselves glancing at each other again after the natural reflexes had intertwined their appendages left, allowing all muscles to make peace amongst themselves, save those behind the features of the generously helping hand, whose mandibles clamped together on separate sides of his mouth, then pulled apart in pairs, underside his gums, as a charming noise drifted from his throat, a sort of 'Oh, what have we here?' for Sangheilis both big and small, and excited Rek'd's muscles and heart, though he would only have the pleasure of noting the tenseness of the former, missing the looping beats of the latter that both sped and skipped. "Shud'ya so'wish i'..."

"I believe, it goes without saying, that I do," The elderly youth stated as he, too, stood from the bed, restoring the height seen as far more impressive than his equal's, though he felt as if he was peering into this being before him at an elevation of equivalent measure, even as he drew closer, readying for an implied motion before Fiera's voice sailed through the door and placed both men on their toes. Rek'd glanced towards his host with disappointment flooding his features before he slipped his hand, seemingly to walk through the doorway without any assistance whatsoever, and wrapped his arms around the generously helping hand, taking him into his grasp, as if he'd never let go; or, at least, that was the implied notion behind the motion, brotherly as the tight embrace was, that surfaced amidst Innurven's thoughts as he returned the favor, placing his head and twirling his neck against the chest before him, while the ring leader of this charade bent over him and graced the back of that exposed neck with his own. "You have proved to be more of a brother, as opposed a mere friend, and I thank you for this, especially as I wander about my time of need," The embrace was loosened as the elderly youth stepped back from his previous spot with his finger tips sinking down, farther down that mass of flesh, to meet the tips of opposites not quite significant, though certainly cherished. "One fit to act of my kin is always appreciated, cherished, just as kind words or a brightened smile are."

As they drifted further apart, Innurven couldn't help but smile and blush as Rek'd proved, yet again, to be an upstanding gentleman, always offering compliments and upbringings in the wake of crucial moments that were destined to be interrupted by the chiming of a bell, or the roar of a beast, or the sweetened call of a mistress laying in wait for her lord, as if he was her prey. Another squeeze of the palm, enacted by both men and drawing of a breath from both men, came to pass before they complied with the pleas of the disembodied voice floating just outside the door, likely hanging from its upper frame as a sign of greetings would, though intentions were not spelled out upon this one, before both arms were retracted and the beings made their way towards exit. At the last instant, before Rek'd passed through, Innurven proved, yet again, to be a faithful escort and slapped that once occupied hand against his guest's spine, propelling him forward. Just a pause, a small pause, was taken, as the elderly youth feared being thrown into yet another long gone memory, before he warily slid through the frame, feeling his pectorals to make sure they had not decreased in a childish manner, and was pursued by the host just behind him, whom practically pressed him to lurch forward and seize the time they had together within this comfortable home.

The door behind them shut softly, marking a departure that, without outside influences, possibly would have never come to pass, as this room signified a haven, just as the secluded spring did, in which for two lovers could come to join and make something of their time together. The window, across the room from the door, remained slightly open, quite inconspicuously suggestive, as all things had come to be, by now, allowing a fitting breeze to shimmy through the crack and illuminate the room with a scent most pleasing and condoning of its purpose, however restricted by limitations it was to express this. Beyond this window, if one squinted hard enough, one would be able to see a flower patch containing an ever flowing sea of vibrant weavings of loosely related colors so heavily influenced by this wind as life was gone about and enjoyed for the time being, displaying, in itself, a sort of lesson that all onlookers would be wise to learn. What lesson this was, exactly, was not made clear by the unintelligible lyrics, or, perhaps, lyrics too intelligent to be comprehended, that were captured by the breeze and pressed into the emptied room, though halted by the door until Rek'd forced it open, intending to fix the sheets he had come to disrupt earlier. The elderly youth, as he stepped inside, stopped and listened to the breeze, finding, within it, a message that would come to alter his given mindset and mutate his very being as he viewed the garden just outside the window.


	5. Needs to be Spelled Out in Words

_**Part One: **_**Times Waiting --- **_**Chapter Four: **_**Needs to be Spelled Out in Words**

Rek'd had seen them, through the limited transparency of the house's mirrors, already undressed and thriving off recently induced passion that drove them to an embrace uniquely characterized through barbaric jerks enacted by both sides, though the elderly youth had decided against gawking long enough to see any further romantic advances yet to be taken within the establishment now behind him, despite sensing a tension about as he sat within, consuming culinary delights, exchanging stories with humorous tinges amongst friends, and entertaining Vleo, with the aid of his peers, as much as mortally possible. The only benefit that Rek'd would have found, upon spying, was that the two forms stood at about the same height, which was a fact deprived of discovery over the course of this night, as the husband and his wife seemed to silently refuse to stand at the same instant as one another, lest their supposed similarity be revealed.

---(The curtains disclosed further actions as Innurven rested his body against them, feeling the night air, tacked onto the surface of the glass, slip through the thin fabric and penetrate his skin, inserting needles into his spine, just as the fingers running about his front rounded about his body, seized it, and, without any objections that would simply break the gesture and, thus, break the excitement that caused quickened breaths to fabricate mid-air, brought him forward, as if he were a disgraced and unclothed Supreme Commander kneeling under the jurisdiction of the Prophets' fingers, though his hooves remained the main source of foundation. Both forms collided in a frustrated manner as they searched for immense fountains of pleasure, though only found a few short bursts that rendered their vocal cords unable to deliver more than warbled words and noises. Muscles buckled after releasing heat and exhausting energy, only to be replaced by one of equal necessity until that one, itself, buckled and was replaced, which, as fact dictates that muscles are quite limited in number, sent both beings sprawling towards the master bed, with the male thrown onto his back after a silent whisper offered a suggestion. He took a moment, after resting his head against a pillow propped against the wall, to roll his golden eyes over the course of the room. "Wuh'a fucken mess."

Fiera mounted Innurven as he leaned forward, propping his muscular upper body up onto two arms, bent backwards, so as to support the weight of both bodies (not too taxing a task, as his wife's only point of considerable weight laid about the hips), while drawing the Misses into an inevitable kiss that would result in strained muscle fibers and tangled mandibles and limbs lathered with sweat and saliva. They hardly cared, as their individual fantasies, both involving the same individual, came into play before orbs that projected heat scenes upon the lowered covers, which rippled along with the actual weavings below, though hands were not required for the formers' manipulations, calling for palms to be occupied by dispatching themselves to tickle one's chest and abdomen, the other's breasts and neck, regardless of a scar sprawled across unlikewise femininity, and both sets of ribs and inner thighs. While it is due to these side activities, and the actual main attraction, that caused this night to be one of satisfaction for the two bodies, heaving spastically and gasping for air as they had, it must be noted that dissatisfaction left a sting about the nether regions of the heart, as that which both the husband and his wife desired could not be attained within this house of theirs, however strong it seemed, as it had already rolled to and fro.)---

* * * * *

With all eight appendages wrapped about its base, the mutated flower rose, being positioned in such a way that permitted the orbs below it to peer upwards, between the stems, and directly towards the celestial being ever associated with the open curtains of night. (What a great actor it was, with its smile of eternity!) Everything in the establishment, save the being emitting the very signs of existence and the plant lacking a will detained firmly by its palms, remained deftly still, only announcing their presence with creaks that came to be through accidental shifts below this empty shell and between its confining walls. The form glanced about, as it had in every other room after being startled by every other creak, searching for any other mementos of great sentimental value, but there were none other than this singular flower, flourishing in its rich soil lathered with life-giving liquid and fondness spared by those two loving youths as it did, though, given A-kur's nature, one which overlooked most and cherished very few, such a detail about his house was hardly the most unforeseen.

The structure was left, as it was, disregarding the one missing token, to be delivered to a youth no doubt in desperate need of companionship, and the paths were surveyed, bringing up two bobbing bodies, one quite drastically taller than the other. As they drew closer, the flower withheld struggled to maintain the warmth about it, being reduced to one which relied on sporadic sparks to ignite the pedals of both buds exposed to this relentless night air, tinged with traits of the oncoming winter, which even begged the male Sangheilis about to lace on their upper clothes in defense, though its cries of displeasure were ignored, as sight, as it stands, stole all given receptive sources to identify the traveling forms, as they drew ever closer. It was noticed that the smaller of the two had lifted an arm to connect both the enlisted grave robber and the home of the beloved warrior together, though neither the pace of those oncoming nor the heart of the deliverer was quickened by the supposed situation, as if all had been weaved into a state of bemusement that prevented energy spikes or erratic changes in behavior until certain, preset requirements, to be realized by the ensuing events, had been met. The appearance of a familiar face was far from expected by any of the forms involved, though extremely welcomed as the two elder beings' mandibles wriggled with unprecedented glee, especially on the part of Rek'd, as his former keeper asked, "It's been far too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye," The elderly youth replied as his eyes glazed the flower. They spoke of a quiet wonderment that would certainly call for questions to propelled in the near future, to which his former keeper would offer answers prepared prior to this moment, as, unlike A-kur's mentality, Rek'd's could be seen quite well by this keeper, and had been seen far before he even understood the extend of understanding that laid behind those eyes with a mix of red and blue about the pupil and edges, respectively. Even now, he failed to realize the excavation his very being, done in a manner that spoke of a tilt towards the want to comfort rather than to manipulate, being put into motion as he continued his address. "It has, Mother Ma'heras," Rek'd bestowed upon this female, of an age of higher count than his own, the title he had known her by those few years ago, when she had tended to his every need, regardless of his less than demanding demeanor. The former keeper couldn't help but smile as she received the words delivered by the voice of the boy she once knew, whom now stood as a man, and compared them to then, finding that his growth was far more satisfactory than any being would have initially expected. "Tell me-" He addressed her once again, gesturing towards the object withheld by eight, slender fingers. "-why do you emerge from A-kur's house, bearing a gift rightfully his?"

"As it is rightfully yours?" Mother Ma'heras inquired whilst raising an eyebrow, before she lowered it and extending both arms forward, insisting, silently, that Rek'd assert his ownership of A-kur's belongings, just as A-kur would do so of his in such times, and retrieve the flower, so as to take it under his wing and provide the sort of care it demands. The elderly youth bowed his head as the object was transferred, with its shivering leaves fluttering with the wind, which caught his eyes for just a second, before both sharp, green orbs were flicked as their host awaited an answer to his question. "I've come to this comfortable clearing to offer my most profound wishes to your newly declared-" _Though far from newfound. _"-relationship with A-kur. I have feverishly wished, since you two were four years deprived of the experience you hold now, that I would be able to witness such a collective act of bravery, though I am afraid to say that I was only recently informed, of this, that is, by your beloved as he was whisked away to the current affairs strummed up by our mess of a system," The former keeper stepped forward and ran her hand over the side of Rek'd's face, causing the man, formerly a boy, to continue wriggle his mandibles, tilt his head inward, and focus slightly widened eyes upon the form before him, which silently asked if she was proud of who he had come to be. "You and A-kur have grown into handsome, admirable men," She answered, recognizing this expression. "Though, I'm sure you both already know this. Sweethearts like yourselves must throw about compliments like soldiers spit seeds-" A brow was raised at this drug reference. "-or something to that effect."

"I've found him considering me, and myself considering him, matured in a manner worthy of praise, though compliments have been offered since our first days coming of age and togetherness; far before you happened upon us," Rek'd admitted with a finger placed sternly against his right mandibles that stroked them as if they were pets as he recalled a mental image of his beloved warrior at a age of tenderness, an age which he shared with his object of affection, before their relationship had called for an advancement that would leave virgin skins tainted and graced with the mortal sin of faux procreation. It was a wonder how those softened features had come to be defined, as they were, with masculinity and seriousness, both being obvious influences, fixated at the tip of each bone and muscle while a glow about the edges that rid the apathetic, disregarding air about the man whenever he stepped within five feet of his lover, though allowed it to return as other forms resolved to settle within the range of stagnant fumes smelling of love and passion. It was assumed that A-kur had managed to brighten his eternally professionalized features when he met with Mother Ma'heras, even if just for the moment in which his favor had been asked of her. "Such high opinions of one another, fueled by attraction, is what brought us together, after all. To borrow your simile, we, as soldiers quite willing to defend our system and lovers quite willing to defend ourselves, became addicted to the seeds of our very being and nourished them in an ideal manner, rather than spit them about, so as to please our superiors and to please ourselves, though the latter most of all," A nod of understanding approval was offered to the elderly youth as he stated this, giving him the incentive to not only believe in, but continue to live by, his current principles of advancement, so when the day he and A-kur reunited, they could both be pleasantly surprised by unseen slabs of growth shortly before lashing out appendages to be ran over the surface of them, to take in the differences of feeling pitted against expectations that could only be overcome. There was nothing more Rek'd had wished for, at this moment, than for that moment to come about, and for it to come about soon, as these frigid gusts of lonely months to come only made his form long for a repeat of years prior, in which its skin would be treated as a work of art on which the beloved warrior could paint his frustration and strife, his hopes and dreams, his accomplishments and glee, and his love and passion. Truly, no other method of obtaining ecstasy, not even the consumption of rolled smoke, had come close to achieving what those fingers, dabbed in paint, had, nor had any other method sent out such chilling bouts of withdrawal whenever one's desires could not be met; such a chill, distinguishing itself from that of the wind, latched onto the elderly youth's ribs as he spoke with his former keeper and tempted him to run home and curl up next to the fireplace. "We've grown together, after all these years, after all those bumps in our short lives, and it pained me, greatly, to see him go that day, strapped from head to hoof in armor that prevented me from latching onto his hip, though we both share the same scars, I'm sure. Here, I've dealt with looks and laughter; there, he deals with remarks and rejection, I'm sure. Here, I feel too fabricated a breath; there, he feels too faltering a steam, I'm sure. Here, I remain helpless; there, he remains too helpful, I'm sure. Together, we can only garner strength through our indulgence of each other; apart, we..."

"That's why I have taken my leave of the buildings to join you here amongst the fields, my dear," Mother Ma'heras allowed her palm to drift down with the waves established in whispers amongst the wind, brushing it against Rek'd's tips before trapping the young man's hand with her own, pulling him forward, towards the establishment atop the hill. Vleo, of course, was encouraged as well with a nod that sent the boy into a fit of spontaneously frivolous behavior that drove him up the hill with merry sprints and giggles. "Come," She suddenly commanded. "We must withdraw to your fireplace before our bodies conjure up a plan of bitter revenge in response to our dawdling pace."

Thus, the three were off, quickly covering the ground of the hill to rest within the shelter that dwelt atop it as they were ushered by winds that nipped at their hindquarters with any given chance. Such would have acted as a great source of motivation to just push through the door without acknowledging the rights of prioritized protection, which was bestowed first upon mother nature's own blossoms, as opposed to her buds, though Rek'd was a being of gentlemanly manner, thus, he suffered just a few seconds longer to make sure this embodiment of femininity, whom had done so much for him in the past, such as delivering care when sick, youthful bodies demanded it and a friendly spread of the mandibles when even A-kur's was insufficient, was able to escape from the harassment found appropriate by the oncoming winter, as well as the young one, whom leaped indoors with his wings engaged, then followed suit, sealing the disrupted environment, so as to preserve the air about it and the past breaths the air held. As the door frame cracked and two sharp, green eyes rolled about the mansion floor, the elderly youth found himself in the process of sucking in these breaths, aiding them in their pursue to be rather than to be preserved, as a being of particular beauty was manhandled by his father, though not so much to suggest their relationship consisted not only of beatings, should there be any of those in the first place, and escorted in of doors while the youth watched from the up of stairs. She stepped forward and the father initiated a comment, suggesting it was quite fortunate she had arrived, and a joking gesture, implying that it was proper for him to remove those ever important upper garments, as if this female were no different from his male guests; a polite chuckle resulted and, also, acted as a declination made soft enough in case the offer had been of a serious nature.

Tiny arms were laid across the rest protruding from the nearest wall, and whose sole justification of existence was to lead forms more capable down the stairs safely, so their necks remained propped upon their shoulders in the ideal position, and two tiny mandibles were rested atop them, allowing an easier viewing of the scene below as the mysterious woman, now bearing a set of marital vows weaved into her given linens, declared her entrance whilst both hands, quite her own, slid onto her hips. An inquiry was pressed forward, Rek'aug allowed his hands to rest atop the young girl's shoulders, which hardly pleased his beast, and an introduction turned greeting was issued, though the being whom had spoken first was rendered undecipherable, as the other two voices, quite a bit more prehistoric in sound, rang out in unison towards differing sets of receptive organs, effectively drowning out each and every word. Amidst an oncoming discussion, it was decided, by Rek'd, that this woman, whom, at the time, brandished an age about three halves his own, and two thirds his father's, was to be his keeper, which almost tempted the boy squeal with pleasure loud enough to pierce any receptive organs below. Perhaps, amongst the nervous chuckles and booming stammers and frowns not upturned, a little bit of infectious pleasure would, at least, be welcome, as it sailed from this form, though he would never come to slap a widened grin onto the features of any surrounding beings, save maybe his newly established keeper, as the scheming youth seemed to be prone to.

The enacted squeal remained inconspicuous until a set of multi-colored eyes, red and blue, as they were, focused upon him, transitioning those mandibles from their loosened state of minds that called for them to wander about to being tensed and tucked along the underside of the youth's upper lip as his sharp, green orbs were widened in effect and his legs spread apart, so as to give him the means to hop away; he remained still though, at first temporarily, but once the eyes of the father settled upon his form, the will to even try and escape the lines of sight so effectively burning his skin burned away. He remained still as the woman, labeled his keeper, ascended the stairs, after being set to it by a playful pat and a wary stare applied by the pair of adults whom retired to their quarters right afterwards, and called for the youth to assist her down the hallway. Rek'd complied silently as the woman offered her gratitude, then pressed onward to select an empty room for later storage. Despite efforts to pry words from the boy, his keeper could only manage to get an occasional nod or thoughtful look during their dual surveys of the available cells, leading her to figure this youth to be of shy nature, which only made his quick-to-glow cheekbones and features containing a tinge of femininity all the more endearing. He received a pat as they parted ways, so she could ready herself for the day following, her first actual day babying him, which pressed a question upon the boy.

What exactly would he do with his recently dissected schedule?

Naturally, the significantly opposite youth whom cradled his object of affections with the utmost care was sought out, and soon found, as Rek'd's sprinting search was immediately cut short by a stronger force than himself, which latched onto his frail bones and yanked him into a darkness not quite sinister, though quite romantic, and clamped his mandibles shut to keep a piercing screech from exiting his vocal cords. That young heart beat with intensity as the force ran its fingers down his neck, then placed a palm firmly against his chest, slowing those quickened breaths by loosening all tensions with a warmth, thus far, unmatched and a suggestiveness merely suggesting this alone time be pursued. Both healthy, youthful bodies pulled closer as they inched away from the ray of light that seared only a fraction of the darkness in a manner that expressed seeming end results of inflicted pain that would rain down upon them, like moon light, should they ever bring this moment to light for all eyes, be they harsh, understanding, adoring, spiteful, touched, appalled, supportive, damning, neutral, impassioned, inspired, envious, or filled to the brim with any other given characteristics, as they were, to witness. It was the object of affections whom first realized this and attempted to pull away, though he was swayed to stay put as the scheming youth explored this body before him, as if it were an offer of patronage to his superior form, like he always treated it, with curious hands too characterized by such a trait to await the water's sensual lapping, usually registered by their naked hides, to create goose bumps amongst his partner's form, smiling as shivers told of wonderment towards the effects of simple strokes.

"I've craved your company, as I'm sure you've been craving mine, ever since I awoke this fine morning, my dear Rek'd," A-kur stated as he motioned closer, ran a hand along the side of his object of affection's skull, and tangled all lower body cloths amongst each other, acting as if the fabric existed no more than their love existed in the eyes of the outside world, cherishing the warmth, the particular warmth, that could only be created by such a shrouded region of the body, though allowed it not to overshadow what truly mattered; the warmth that radiated from all parts of these fleshed beings and the sensation created when revealed sources intertwined. The scheming youth figured, as good a feeling this was, it hardly measured up to the deliverance of one's untainted form to another with an ever present sincerity stamped across every desirable feature to be stroked or tasted by wriggling masses of lips, bones, teeth, and taste buds, but he would wait for the proper day, as this yearning, soon to be turned loose as an open flame, could be satisfied with a mere bout kisses brought about by a supposedly unintended entanglement. "I'll ask you not where you've been all day; such details are of lesser importance to me than the happenings surrounding a rock," The scheming youth settled closer, his hand wrapped firmly about Rek'd's back as they leaned against the wall, relying upon its structure to hold them up as they float amongst clouds. "All I ask, in return, is for one kiss, brief as you feel suitable, to hold until tonight, when I can delight your skin and tastes with as many as I feel suitable. Just one and I'll return to playing the role of your half-brother, as I have agreed prior, whilst trudging the lighted paths."

"As brief as possi-" This answer was cut short as its speaker found his mandibles to become as tangled as the cloths below and his muscles to be as resistant, at first, as a knot ever loosening, before the appendages suddenly retracted in a revolted manner; as A-kur gained continuous satisfaction through manipulations, he failed to notice this security measure, which would hoist all the blame of this situation, should a disapproving or loose lipped form wander into the darkness, on the scheming youth, whom could be more than forgiven, given his promising abilities and seemingly utterly obedient nature, unlike his object of affection, whom was hampered quite enough by the stance he held in his father's eyes. The kiss was released, brief as promise, though Rek'd found himself squealing lightly in delight as his neck was massaged by wriggling tentacles that pitted prickled fangs and moist puddles of thick fluids against skin layered not quite as densely, senses too enticed to ignore any further advancement, and vocal cords far too raddled not to follow the example of their stimulators. It came at a moment, placed ever so strategically, when control was gained and the two youths were separated by the one's concern and devotion to keep a promise long ago made, dictating this love was only to be expressed within the confides of the secluded spring until they found the courage to announce their standing via strolling hand-in-hand under the eyes of their ever watchful peers; not to mention the day and night father and his always set sun. "That is enough," The accompanied youth insisted as his tongue ran over the underside of his mandibles, taking in the moment that had been left upon him by that worthy promise breaker, as his company was eased away and the cloths carefully untangled, so as not to reveal the hide hidden and create a catastrophe of a day; or, perhaps, a wonderful experience that would only lead to an incoherent discovery on the part of the parental units. "There is always tonight, dear A-kur; forever and for always-" Rek'd straightened his cloths, then gazed into his half-brother's eyes as his head turned upwards and mandibles curved in; a pause had overcome him and seemed to make its own presence unbearable, causing a struggle to yank the last word from that youthful throat. "-t-tonight."

"Tonight, tomorrow; youths are never supposed to think ahead! Right now, I require the help of one strapping young lad," A voice almost shrill in delivery, though more so due to its unexpected intrusion into this moment rather than the defining properties held, rang out and prompted both boys to whip their heads towards the cracked door, wearing masks of half-appease, half-anything-but-at-ease, to focus upon this most adroit lurker, whom relaxed in the hallway just outside the room with a shoulder pressed against the door frame and both sets of outwardly stretched limbs crossed over, as if to imply one being was on the edge of a dirty, little secret. The disembodied voice acquired a host and gave all credit owed to Ma'heras, despite the fact that the woman maintained a neutral expression and asked for no praise, further disregarding the set standards of her given triumphant position, then pressed off the wall as the look of terror on both youths' faces gradually slipped away, in turn bringing about a feeling of defeat that was soon set off. "Whatever you two premeditated for tonight, that which is forever and always, eluded me, as I arrived only in time to recognize the mischief at hand with no details to create the damning appendages," The keeper waved her hand about as her mandibles flicked this way and that, presenting, to her newly recognized priorities, an odd manner of movement not unlike Innurven's in appearance, though quite distant in flow; the boys seemed hypnotized by both the wriggling jaws and limb, but rapidly fled their trans. "Despite the fact that I've no need to investigate this manner further, I gaze upon it as dual-headed bargaining chip. Either of you care to snatch it from my hands?"

A-kur glanced back to Rek'd, feeling that fire within burn for yet another kiss, though he resisted it as their eyes, being of the inverse characteristics displayed by the bodies below, met, once again, and patted the palm of his half-brother's hand. "Tonight," The second half of this whole brotherhood repeated, showing no signs of weakness through stutterings or stumbles, as his eyes reflected a devious spirit; one which, after claiming a mass of mortal flesh, never shirked its attempts to taste it until all flares had completely died down, in which such a spirit would move on to its next victim. The first half of this whole brotherhood felt as if such a departure would never come, as, if his partial relation possessed anything, passion was about and abound, flowing throughout and around, this stronger form, which only pushed, but refused silently to claimed complete dominance, and pulled, though with the constant reassurance of an underlying want for his love, of brotherly stature, that begged, that plead, that outright burst into out strung arms and heated cries, to be realized, in such a way that suggested they ran this relationship as one, regardless of previous conceptions that dictated a member must take the higher seat and pave the road to be traveled down based upon the stances of lovemaking, and progressed as two equal beings, however differently developed they were. "Tonight, one of mere procrastination rather than progress, shall be ours, then, but now-" A-kur directed his motions to Ma'heras. "-shall be our guest's time with me," The scheming youth assured through elaborate motions, depicting silent double entendres, that this time would be only of business and not of romance; Rek'd nodded as both soft, green eyes flicked to him, then were steered away, reluctantly, as the second half of this whole brotherhood trudged towards to the searing light laid out before him, along with its keeper. He turned back but once to deliver a final message, this being, "I bid you a day, just a day, as I wish tonight to be good in comparison so, as I whisper those words in your ears amidst light chuckles accustomed to mischievous souls, the meaning can become enriched by its one, simple layer, rather than jumbled by an overblown mass of layers. Goodbye, for now, dear Rek'd. I hope you await the reception of those words as readily as I wish to convey them."

A-kur then left to assist Ma'heras in her inevitable move into the impressive state. Rek'd was left to himself again; to wander about this house alone, or, perhaps, just this room, as no superior had yet to order him outside the comforting darkness.

For the first time, since that unexpected entrance, which led to an equally surprisingly, though superiorly enjoyable, kiss, the light had been flicked on and the limits of this cell studied; Rek'd recognized it as his father's establishment of educational examination. All that laid within the room was a secondary bed and a desk, with papers surrounding the edges of the former and stacked upon the surface of the latter, suggesting that even when Rek'aug had managed to catch himself up with a detailed list of recent happenings in the cities, the latest discovery report issued within the field of physics or a series of logs analyzing the cause and effect of various weapons, along with their actual building processes, which explained the many lethal lumps lingering about the corner nearest to the desk, he could not lie down and submit to his subconscious without a wave of fresh ink wafting into his nostrils. As snooping youth fumbled about the papers about the bed, finally reaching for the pillow atop it with pure curiosity, lewd photogenic logs that suggested his father had submitted not only to his own body's demands atop this bed after those long sessions of study were stumbled across, and pulled away from, as two sets of four appendages, with their distant cousins upon every Sangheili's face, curled inward with appalled astonishment. No wonder the heads of this household insisted their offspring remain oblivious of this room's inner workings!

The door truly would have been met with a fierce out of bolting force had both orbs of a sharp green colorization not settled upon a written log amongst the parental pornography; knowing Rek'aug to not be much of a sexual writer, although a very talented verbal poet, and lacking knowledge in general on the being that was, essentially, the youth's surrogate mother, who seemed hardly the woman to enjoy dirty talk sprawled across parchment paper, Rek'd plucked it from the dirt, investing all faith in its content with hopes that it was, at least, suitable for one of the central stage of puberty, or, at the very, very least, something which would not stir a fit of arousal. The youth was pleasantly surprised and unpleasantly surprised as all surmising was cast out into the dreaded light with the wonder concerning this letter's purpose, for it was made very, very clear, in the very first line, that this was seething, most likely not in its finest form, though seething nonetheless, that caused the very skin upon the reader's body to boil in unison with the writer's. With that said, it read:

_Dear _bloodied-bed-sheet-clenching-spouse-spawn-of-a-freaking-fucking-hell_,_

_I've no need for this trial. I've already one that has been dealt with, and only recently neutralized by a second set of green eyes, not merely snuffed, for fifteen fucking phases, eased only about the thirteenth. Have I not suffered long enough, I ask you? Of course; not._

_If only funds were sufficient enough to achieve my goal. To think! –if I wish for a release of true relief, I must tear the eggs firmly tucked, or firmly fuck, between Fortuna's legs and squat over them, like a fucking frog, and fill them with fluids sufficient enough for mine own to conceive, though I am not a man of violent theories! At least, not when funds are sufficient enough. _

_I wouldn't be fair enough, fair minded enough, fair-fucking-minded enough, if I did not consider the possibility of my seed being infertile, though I'm a damned field worker; only a wealthy distributer of crops when not in disguise. As great a line I've been able to come from, been able to have been bred from, fucking- pardon me, _repro-_fucking_-duction_ -should come easy enough, though, in practice, it lies alongside the caliber of romancing a rock. It must be the dam of a dame, _you_ of all yous, whom brings me shame; the continuation of what I've experienced for these long years come to pass. If only they could be forgotten!_

_But, alas, I fear that, should I ever be distributed a baby through the kindness of this malnourished bitch, I would receive a son more suitable as a daughter or a daughter more suitable as a sun! Just the thought makes me wish to revoke my lineage, retract my hips, and relinquish my vows, though, sadly, I am a man of my poison, be it written down and hidden or spoken up and ridden; smooth and graceful or dehydrated and painful. I will not break an oath with words, words, and more words; to hell with words! I am no coward!_

_But, Dear Gods, my will is chafed; please, bestow upon me a method to escape. I've yet to show my ass to you, as I submit, humbly, to her will, and suffer the frigid air every waking moment, save those spent at my desk. I ask you, extend my haven and I will forever live by your customs and conclude that only your will is worth submitting to, and await your answer. I hope it shall not be consisting of just words, words, and more words, but immediate workings and action. _

_Sincerely, _Rek'aug Sek'r

The seething letter was copied, word for word, then placed back underneath the pillow so resistant to a fire telling of the cold, lest Rek'd wished his hand to be rid of its dark purple sheets, as the copy was stuffed between the youth's cloths and belt in a way that rendered it invisible to the eye, at the cost of being an irritant to a most tender area, just before Ma'heras' voice rang out, calling upon the name of the first half of her top priority, pressing him to join the second half. Sharp, green eyes flicked to the door, making sure of no unexpected guests, before proceeding to straighten papers, mop up ink, and toss supplies back into their respective drawers, so the room's defenses appeared as if they were never breached, then glide down the stairs, finding A-kur sitting in front of the estate's fireplace. The scheming youth glanced back once, patted the spot next to him twice, and allowed his object of affections any time limit under three seconds to join him before showing a slight tinge of understated anticipation, which Rek'd soon relieved as he gathered next to his half-brother, his part-time lover, and cooed in greetings as their heads formed a conjoined structure relying on both parts to remain standing.

This was needed, this joining, by both youths, though for two very different reasons that led them down an identical road more intertwined than one might have thought, had they not been exposed to the relationship that helped to ease the bumps along it so that the apparent stroll became more pleasant; all the more romantic and smooth. Both boys retracted, then glanced about the room, searching for any spying eyes, before both hosts glided out the door and tore through the woods, seeking the sanctuary in which they could whisper, amidst grins, compliments and comments not direly sensual, though sometimes preferred that way, and point out, through demonstrations, just what was so special about each other, without being told otherwise. At the given moment, this was the highest need upon Rek'd's list, thus rendering A-kur a provider and a protector and, furthermore, a being of utmost value, as he could provide words, words, and more words, among loving gestures, that others simply could not; and once the scheming youth's pleasingly warmed palms, in direct violation of the cold about, drove themselves down to the tips of Rek'd's hips and to two youths leaned towards each other, Vleo came into view, as well as the fireplace that had been sat at before. It was present time now, six phases later.

The boy, wrapped in his elder's left arm, which prompted him to cuddle his body along the well developed encasing that was his brother's, so as to extract warmth from its distributor, regardless of the ray's now penetrating the thin glass instilled between the outlines of this house's mirrors, and wriggle his mandibles mindlessly. The needs displayed by this motion, the utter desperation vibrating through the small body as it shivered against more heated skin, and the return shiver that Rek'd could do naught to fend off, were made clear, leading to an overdue embrace, tweaked ever so slightly in differing aspects, so as to fit Vleo, this neglected boy, giving an air of self-importance and self-esteem that A-kur had instilled within his object of affection many times over. The embrace remained for one of the longest moments either being had ever known, though it refused to drag on, instead coveting a meaning that helped those involved to cherish its length, regardless of the fact they wished it longer still, for the duration set upon them by an unseen minute hand as the elderly youth concocted a plan that would treat his sickly brother to a little bout of togetherness configured through a small bit of time. As the two finally pulled away, Rek'd evoked a softened smile from Vleo's features by asking, "How would you like to visit a sanctuary very dear to your brother, my love?"


End file.
